Farmers Weekly July 10 2023

Price, provenance tensions for producers

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Wet start to calving in the north

chance to drain into the soil.

“It’s got nowhere to go.”

EVERY day is one day closer to spring, Waikato dairy farmer Matthew Zanderop keeps telling himself as he looks out at his waterlogged pastures.

Constant rain over the past month has turned much of his 140ha farm near Te Poi into a waterlogged bog.

Zanderop, who chairs Waikato Federated Farmers’ dairy section, believes his situation is indicative of what is happening on many farms across the region.

Many of his paddocks appear lush and green, but this is deceptive: the saturated peat soils beneath are one downpour away from surface flooding, spilling over onto the already filled drains on the edge.

If he allowed his cows onto this grass, he fears the 600-plus kilogram animals – most of which are yet to calve – would quickly turn the paddock into mud.

He estimates around 30ha of paddocks on the farm are too wet for the cows to graze.

“It will eventually go back into the system, but we have to preserve it because if the cows go into it, they’ll sink up to their brisket.”

The water standing in large patches of water in some of the other paddocks has been there since May because it has not had a

Strong westerlies and patches of sunshine in early July have helped dry out some places, giving him and his herd of 400 cows a welcome reprieve – and the grass a chance to breathe.

But further rain forecast for this week will see the recovery go backwards. The water table is at paddock-level and 2-3mm of rain is enough to bring back more surface flooding, Zanderop said.

The paddocks where the cows have grazed, while significantly pugged, are showing some signs of recovery after the rare spell of fine weather in Waikato last week.

It will mean re-grassing decisions closer to spring, but against a background of a stagnant milk price and rising costs –including the high cost of grass seed and factoring in its value if the summer turns dry.

In a normal season, some of his paddocks would be onto their second or third grazing but he has shut them up to conserve them for spring.

In the meantime, the wet has made pasture and feed management critical and obliged him to be as conservative as possible and make full use of his supplementary feed.

Zanderop runs the herd as three mobs and because he has no feedpad or similar infrastructure,

Continued page 3

Rugging up for winter

These Valais Blacknose sheep, based at Merino Downs near Gore, were well-prepared for the wintry blast that hit the area last week. Snow blanketed parts of the south and southeast corner of the lower South Island, affecting Southland, West and South Otago and Dunedin.

Photo: Brock Valais Blacknose Sheep NZ

Dagg can’t be beaten

Sharon ‘Shaz’ Dagg, who lost her arm in a farm accident, has proven that out of adversity come opportunity and inspiration.

PEOPLE 28

A Dunedin gynaecologist takes rural women’s health services on the road in Otago and Southland.

The Commerce Commission’s banking investigation doesn’t go far enough, says Cameron Bagrie.

NEWS 7

PEOPLE 13

OPINION 27

‘Limb-it-less’

Gerald Piddock NEWS Weather

News in brief

EDITORIAL

Bryan Gibson | 06 323 1519

Managing Editor bryan.gibson@agrihq.co.nz

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ISSN 2463-6002 (Print)

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WoolWorks chair Rob Hewett says the company remains concerned that NZ woolgrowers are

Feds appointment

Mid Canterbury arable farmer David Birkett is the new face on the board of Federated Farmers.

The organisation’s annual meeting this week confirmed Wayne Langford as president and elected Colin Hurst (Canterbury) vice-president. The other members are unchanged: Sandra Faulkner, Mark Hooper, Toby Williams and Richard McIntyre.

GDT drop

Global Dairy Trade prices have suffered their second-largest drop of 2023, pulled down by 10% off butter and 6% off skim milk powder.

The butter slide was unexpected after prices for the product rose 17% during April, May and June. The GDT index fell 3.3% in the first July auction and whole milk powder was a stabilising influence, dropping only 0.4%. Westpac economist Paul Clark said the futures market had been anticipating a 4% drop in WMP so the minus 0.4% outcome was better than expected.

Foreign sales

Four more farms have been sold to foreign buyers for conversion to forestry.

The four sheep and beef farms, in South Canterbury, South Otago, Tairāwhiti and Northland, cover 2200ha and were assessed under the Overseas Investment Office’s special one-off forestry test. The government has since tightened the assessment criteria for foreign investors.

Yealands success

Marlborough wine producer Yealands Wine Group has been acknowledged as one of the world’s top wineries, scooping a raft of medals at the International Wine Challenge awards in London.

On top of a dozen awards, Yealands’ chief winemaker, Natalie Christensen, was named the IWC White Winemaker of the Year, the first time a New Zealander has taken the title in 15 years.

EU trade pact is all over bar the shouting

Nigel Stirling MARKETS Trade

EXPORTERS have started the final countdown to improved access to a market of 450 million consumers with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins signing the longawaited European free trade deal in Brussels yesterday.

Hipkins was expected to have signed the deal on Sunday night (NZT) alongside the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

The terms of the deal were agreed in June last year after four years of formal negotiations and a decade or more spent getting the European Union to the table for talks.

All that remains is for the New Zealand and European parliaments to pass legislation to enable the agreement to commence.

Given its small size, it is usual for NZ to have to wait for overseas lawmakers to work through other priorities before signing off on trade deals with it.

However, Beef + Lamb NZ trade policy adviser Nick Jolly said exporters could be in the unusual position of having to wait for NZ to pass enabling legislation before they can reap the benefits of the EU deal.

outcomes that we got for some of our products.

“It is probably our election that is going to hold things back.”

Jolly said key EU nongovernmental groups that could typically be relied on to oppose the 27-member trading bloc’s free trade agreements have signalled they will lobby European parliamentarians to support the deal with NZ.

“When you talk to some of the animal welfare groups over there they are actually quite happy with the precedent it sets for future FTAs for some of the things they have been advocating for a while, for so they are keen to get it through is my understanding.”

he alternates the mobs on either the yards, drier paddocks or “sacrifice” paddocks that were planned to be sown into summer feed crops in spring.

“We don’t have a choice.

“If we don’t, we’ll end up with a worse problem than we started with.”

Over on the Hauraki Plains, dairy farmer Julie Pirie’s farm had started calving and while areas are wet, their operation has come through the rain relatively unscathed. This was in part due to using their support block to graze their heifers.

Jolly said limited opposition to the deal in the EU Parliament and the short window left to pass legislation in the NZ Parliament before October’s general election make it likely the Europeans will be first across the line.

“The French and the Irish are going to complain regardless but there is not significant opposition, which probably points to the

But it has made work harder, Pirie said.

Everyone has to don their wet weather clothing for longer and they need to be more selective about which paddocks to use for grazing and keep an eye on the herd for possible health issues, she said.

“I know there has been some farmers struggling with the wet –having to take cows off pastures and onto pads or cowshed yards to stop them doing damage. That’s really hard and it adds a lot of extra pressure to the day for people.”

Pirie is conscious how moralesapping it can be for her staff in

The dairy and meat sectors have complained bitterly about the limited returns for them from the deal, but there are more substantial wins for second-tier export industries including wine, kiwifruit, seafood and onions.

NZ Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan said NZ wine exporters are eagerly anticipating the agreement’s start date.

The current tariff of €0.15 (26

such conditions and said people management is critical.

The district’s drainage schemes are also working really well and have helped keep much of the rain from ponding on paddocks, Pirie said.

“We have that advantage compared to other farms.”

Pirie said she remains an optimist.

“You think how you are going to get through and then in July, the sun comes out and you have a super spring. You hope it goes that way.”

Back in Te Poi, Zanderop said while the herd was in good condition coming into winter,

cents) per litre for bottled wine with an alcohol content of less than 15% – the majority of NZ’s wine exports to the EU – will be scrapped on the first day. However, just as important is the alignment of EU regulatory requirements with current NZ winemaking practices. Parameters for sugar and acid contents will be relaxed.

the constant wet is putting an enormous amount of stress on them at a time when the animals are already stressed as they prepare to calve.

CHEERS: NZ Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan says wine exporters are eagerly anticipating the FTA’s start date.

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Federated Farmers

“They’re just tired,” he said.

“They can lose a lot of weight in these situations because they are churning up all of their stored fat

“That will give winemakers here more confidence that there are not going to be issues with access to the market, because they have had a particular set of issues with making wine in a particular year that could cause them problems getting wine into the EU.

“It is going to give them more confidence about getting into that market,” Gregan said.

to keep warm in the rain and they just burn it.”

He would not be surprised if it affected spring production across the region, particularly those who took advantage of the warm autumn weather in May and subsequent pasture growth by extending their lactations for last season.

It was a gamble that meant many of those pastures would still be recovering during the wet and they would have “robbed Peter to pay Paul”, he said.

He is hoping that good spring production will help him pay back the financial cost of this winter.

“But that’s dairy farming.”

When you talk to some of the animal welfare groups over there they are actually quite happy with the precedent it sets for future FTAs ... so they are keen to get it through.

Nick Jolly Beef + Lamb NZ

Continued from page 1

If the cows go into it, they’ll sink up to their brisket.

Matthew Zanderop

Hill farms looking at deficit budget ahead

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Finance

FALLING lamb prices are dragging down revenue forecasts for hill country sheep and beef farms, while rising interest rates grab the lion’s share of outgoings.

Farm consultants BakerAg have published a budget model for 2023-24 that results in a net deficit of $53,000 compared with a provisional 2022-23 outcome of positive $42,000.

Agribusiness consultant Ed Harrison, co-author of the July 1 AgLetter, said gross revenue is forecast to fall 10% this financial year.

“Three main factors are falling lamb prices, higher farm costs and steeply rising interest rates,” he said.

“We don’t want to scare farmers, but they do need to know what the

model says and make early moves.”

The $95,000 swing in budget for hill farms comes from a 10% fall in sheep revenue and much higher debt servicing costs, now up to 28% of gross revenue.

The main dollar components are a $60,000 reduction in sheep income, $10,000 reduction in beef revenue and other income $15,000 down.

The budget model is an 850ha hill country farm running 8000-plus stock units at slightly under 10su/ha.

BakerAg is forecasting the lamb schedule peak to be $7.60/kg in October, falling away to $6.50 in the January trough.

The seasonal income for 5500 lambs will be down $7 a head and there will be fewer lambs born.

In the model, two-thirds of all 6200 lambs born are sold as stores for $101/hd and 900 cull ewes fetch $107/hd.

In beef revenue, male yearlings

are sold for $1100/hd and surplus two-year-old heifers make $1230.

BakerAg includes several big assumptions on outgoings – steady farm working expenses, minimal capital purchases and disciplined drawings, drastic cuts to repairs and maintenance and no principal repayments.

In the model, total farm working expenses stay steady around $550,000 but now take 66% of the reduced revenue compared with 58% in the previous financial year. Interest costs are factored in at an 8.5% floating rate on $2.5 million of term debt and 10% on working capital, totalling $236,000 this financial year compared with $204,000 last year.

The 15% increase in debt repayments takes them from 22% of gross revenue last year to 28% this year.

“The net result is a deficit of $53,000 and the red number at the bottom sends a clear message that

all farm businesses will require prudent cash management and upfront communication with all stakeholders to ensure business viability,” Harrison said.

“Faced with a deficit, will farmers capitalise the loss, and turn working capital into term debt?

“Against a farm value over $8m, $2.5m term debt leaves 70% equity and room for more debt if necessary.”

He said early ewe scanning results are looking good and the feed situation is healthy.

“The first response to a budget deficit is to make good production decisions and maximise revenue where you can.

“We need a strong spring after several poor ones in a row –drier, warmer and growthy before what might be an El Niño summer.”

Rural health initiatives a ‘mighty first step’

Davidson said he was celebrating the initiatives, which should address the shortage of rural health professionals.

THE Rural Health Network is celebrating two announcements that it says give hope the rural health workforce crisis is finally being taken seriously.

Health NZ (Te Whatu Ora) and the Māori Health Authority (Te Aka Whai Ora) last week released a Health Workforce Plan, and the National Party committed to a third medical school, based at Waikato University and focused on training rural general practitioners, should it win the election.

Rural Health Network (Hauora Taiwhenua) chief executive Grant

“We can only do it one step at a time. It is not a panacea for all, but a mighty first step.”

Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford also welcomed the initiatives.

“This is fantastic for rural NZ,” he said, while acknowledging that a third medical school, if it eventuates, would take time.

The Rural Health Network estimates rural practices are short 150 doctors and an unknown number of health professionals.

Half of rural communities do not have a GP.

Davidson said in addition

to increasing the rural health workforce, the retention of existing staff in rural practices must be a priority with extra funding provided for wages and conditions.

The government’s Health Workforce Plan includes funding to scale-up existing successful training initiatives in rural areas and to develop a nationwide framework to co-ordinate rural workforce data, career pathways, and student placements.

“This is to more rapidly grow rural primary care teams that include doctors, nurses, midwives, and others supported and trained to work in rural communities,” said Davidson.

He describes a potential new

medical school as a game changer.

“We have a party committing to significant ongoing funding to train the many hundreds more doctors needed across the country,” he said.

“More importantly, they are prepared to fund a new approach that will specifically deal with the rural GP shortage.

“The network has been promoting this dispersed rural training model for many years and to date been ignored.”

If established, it would start with 120 new trainees who would have previously completed an undergraduate degree.

They would spend one year at the university and the next three embedded in rural practices,

during which Davidson said many will hopefully become connected to those communities through buying a house, marrying and having children.

This is consistent with overseas research that rural people who train in rural areas using rural health professionals are more likely to practice in rural communities once they graduate.

“We are so pleased to see that the plan reflects our thinking.”

The party is also promising an extra 50 medical training positions, in addition to the 50 already announced by Health Minister Ayesha Verrall, at Auckland and Otago universities.

RED AT THE BOTTOM: The $95,000 swing in budget for hill farms comes from a 10% fall in sheep revenue and much higher debt servicing costs.

Neal Wallace NEWS Health

Producers face price, provenance tensions

Bryan Gibson MARKETS Trends

MORE and more consumers have concerns about the sustainability of the food they eat, but economic conditions right now mean many can’t afford to act on them.

David “Dr Food” Hughes,

competition among retailers in the United Kingdom and European Union keeps prices low on staple food items.

He said Tesco is facing steep competition from retailers like Aldi, which means staple items are being heavily discounted.

Waitrose is selling for $90/kg at the moment.

“When a hearse goes by, I think ‘There goes another lamb consumer.’”

One area of hope for food producers is the changing habits in the post-covid world.

well. At Tesco the aisle labels advertised lunch at home, takeaway and ready meals rather than specific food items.

“Meat struggles to come up with consumer propositions that match this,” Hughes said.

While younger consumers are driving many trends, governments are also forcing changes to eating habits.

Emeritus

Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London, told the Primary Industries Summit that global consumers are looking for transparent food systems, low carbon impact, responsible water use and efforts to reduce waste.

“As long as they can see us trying, we have leeway,” he said. The issue for food producers is that gaining any value from these demands is difficult, as fierce

David

“There’s a squeeze on margins for everyone in the supply chain.” This has led to a price hierarchy on the supermarket shelves, with high quality products being priced out of the range of many people. For example, a rack of lamb at

With meal deliveries and kits growing in popularity, Hughes said there is an opening for wellbranded, nutritious products to find a niche on the dinner tables of the world.

“Shopping has changed, with the rise of online shopping and delivery.

“Eating at home is changing –meal kits and having restaurant food delivered is far more common now.

“Nobody buys ingredients –they buy components or the meal itself.” Supermarkets are adapting as

“Governments will interfere with our diets because they can’t afford the health costs of obesity.”

Demographic changes will also be important to keep an eye on in the future, Hughes said.

“We expect to see another 2 billion people over next 30 years and 1.5 billion will be Hindu or Muslim and they have different diets.

“Populations in the EU, UK and Asia will decline over next 20 years.”

Regs slowdown would not serve sector: PM

Bryan Gibson MARKETS Policy and regulation

THE government is aware of the pressure farmers are under right now, but its regulatory programme must continue to ensure the sector is primed to thrive in the future, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told the Primary Industries Summit.

Hipkins acknowledged the government hasn’t always got policy settings right, saying ongoing dialogue and partnership with farming leaders is critical to achieving the best outcomes for the industry.

forefront of change.

“We need to be one of the cleanest, greenest and most sustainable in the world, otherwise our success isn’t assured.”

Hipkins’ recent trade mission to China reinforced his views.

quickly. A long-term briefing paper from the Ministry for Primary Industries shows sustainability, ethics and food sovereignty will be non-negotiable.

is not the time to load more red tape onto our primary sector.”

He said a National-led government would help NZ rediscover its ambition.

SUCCESS:

“Slowing down and delaying some of the critical issues is not going to be in anyone’s best interests,” he said.

“Climate change is happening now and getting worse. We need tangible global progress. Consumers are aware of that as well and they’ll turn away from products that aren’t at the

“Their objective is to double middle-income earners over the next decade. There’s nothing quite like going into a supermarket in a place like China and seeing so many Kiwi products on display at the premium end of the market. It’s a buzz for me and it shows the value proposition we’re taking to the world. There’s no doubt our international reputation is critical to expanding export opportunities.”

The government can play a role in ensuring New Zealand’s products are globally visible and send a message that we’re innovative.

Hipkins noted that farmgate emissions are a big hurdle, but said they need to be addressed

There’s nothing quite like going into a supermarket in a place like China and seeing so many Kiwi products on display at the premium end of the market.

Chris Hipkins Prime Minister

“We need to grapple with that now.”

National’s leader, Christopher Luxon, told the summit a government he leads would take a much different approach.

“We’re in a cost of living crisis and you’re feeling it on farm as well with high interest rates. Now

“We’re going to cut the red tape. We need agriculture to grow incredibly strongly, it’s our most important sector.

“You are not villains, you are deeply valued and critical to our success.”

Luxon said pricing farm emissions is necessary but it is important farmers have all the tools available.

National would introduce a price by 2030, five years later than the current plan.

“Doing nothing is not an option – we cannot give trading partners the excuse to protect their own producers. National wants a thriving primary sector and worldclass producers deserve worldclass policies.”

MORE: SEE PAGE 12

POINTS FOR TRYING: David ‘Dr Food’ Hughes says there is some leeway for producers on sustainability criteria as long as consumers ‘can see us trying’.

When a hearse goes by, I think ‘There goes another lamb consumer.’

Hughes Imperial College London

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told the Primary Industries Summit that NZ needs ‘to be one of the cleanest, greenest and most sustainable in the world, otherwise our success isn’t assured’.

Keep up the great work this winter

Minimise the impacts on the environment and animals.

Exclude stock from waterways. Create an ungrazed buffer zone between the livestock and the waterway. At least 5 metres, but this should increase with slope and soil instability. Check with your local council for any regulations about buffer widths.

Write down your wintering plan

Document your plan explaining how you will minimise your environmental losses and look after your stock over winter.

Prepare for adverse weather events. Have a plan in place to cope with bad weather: how you will protect waterways and provide clean drinking water, feed and shelter to your stock.

For sheep or cattle: Back fence. Regularly back fence stock off grazed breaks to help minimise pugging damage and to reduce runoff risk. Doing this will limit stock wandering excessively, while still allowing them to exhibit natural behaviours.

ungrazed& uncroppedbufferzone

CRITICAL SOURCE AREA

Plant a catch crop. Where soil conditions and farm management allow, consider planting a fast growing crop, such as greenfeed oats, straight after grazing. It can help reduce nitrogen losses.

planting a fast growing crop in spring such as oats. It can make a dramatic difference to reducing nitrogen losses.

Leave an ungrazed and uncropped buffer zone around critical source areas. Critical source areas are parts of the paddock that can channel overland flow directly to waterways (e.g. gullies, swales, very wet areas, spring heads, waterway crossings, stock camps and vehicle access routes).

For more information and useful resources visit: www.beeflambnz.com/wintergrazing

Policy shifts spook forestry investors

Richard Rennie NEWS Forestry

FORESTRY plantings

look set to dry up after this year as industry frustration over Emissions Trading Scheme uncertainty grows, prompting investors to look elsewhere.

This is according to Forest Owners Association president Grant Dodson, who said the recent package of proposed changes to the ETS and to forestry planting rules leave little reason for foresters to want to invest beyond the plantings they have in front of them for this season.

Estimates by Te Uru Rakau NZ Forestry Service are that up until early 2023, 474 million trees were planted under the One Billion Trees scheme, with an additional 120 million to be planted this year.

In addition, there have been significant plantings by farmers who have not applied to the fund, or who may have been funded through projects such as catchment groups and hill country erosion programmes.

The total area under exotic forests to April last year was estimated at 1.76 million hectares, with about 45,000ha of new plantings, up from 34,000ha the year before. The greatest area planted annually was in 1994, at 98,000ha.

While some in the pastoral sector may be celebrating the slowdown in forestation, Dodson said it is a spectacular own goal for the farming sector, which could still benefit enormously from having more, not less, forestry plantings.

Proposals to give councils more power over what forests go where, and the halving of the carbon price since December, were particularly hard for the sector to bear.

“The message has clearly gone out that forestry investors, particularly on farmland, are not wanted,” Dodson said.

He said the withdrawal of investors will also see the end of a lucrative and dignified exit strategy for the growing demographic of farmers seeking to sell their farm and retire.

Dodson cited the example of a property that he said his company, City Forests in Dunedin, had lined up for forestry conversion.

“The farm owner wanted to exit and move on.

“But that rug got ripped out from under them with carbon prices collapsing. The farm would now be worth at best 60% of what we offered them.

“We could no longer guarantee the value of the NZ units coming off it, so the business case just does not stack up anymore.”

Longtime forestry management director Dave Janett agreed with Dodson.

He said most overseas investments being made now are applications that carried over from the special forestry test aimed to encourage forestry investment.

That has since been changed to the same as farmland purchases, known as the Special Benefit to NZ test.

“And I don’t think anyone has been game to try and apply through the Special Benefit test. Everyone is now really gun-shy given the proposals that are coming out from both Labour and National.”

Of particular concern is any retrospective legislation that could further impact carbon prices.

Dodson said the collapse in carbon prices from a high of $89 a unit late last year to $39 now had already wiped $4 billion of wealth from farmers, foresters and iwi who had invested in ETS forestry.

Both men estimate the removal of forestry as a land use option will see farm prices drop back to historic drystock farm levels, possibly by as much as $8000$10,000 a hectare.

Dodson said overseas investors are relatively indifferent to where their forestry investment goes, and

can consider Scotland, Wales, and Canada as options.

Peter Harington, president of the NZ Forest Nursery Growers Association, said this year has proven to be a big planting year for his Rotorua Nursery operation.

Iwi stand firm on forest rights call

Richard Rennie NEWS Forestry

TE KAPUNGA Dewes, chair of the National Māori Forestry Association, is not letting iwi interests in permanent and carbon forestry fade away behind sector and central government politics and continues to call both to account.

In August last year he and his group were instrumental in pulling then minister for forestry Stuart Nash into line about the minister’s claims that “canopy collapse” in long-term exotic forests leaves ecological disaster in its wake.

Nash had originally intended to allow only native forestry plantings to be classified as permanent, claiming exotics had a limited life. This enraged iwi, who have 1.6 million hectares of under-developed land throughout New Zealand, of which 160,000ha is suitable for exotic permanent plantations.

“We proved that canopy collapse was not the case, and managed to get a temporary stay of execution on the concept exotics were not suitable. We continue to work with

government to achieve a policy on ETS [the Emissions Trading Scheme] that works for everyone, including farmers and iwi,” Dewes said.

Meantime iwi continue to push back hard on the entire forest policy-setting process, continuing action through the United Nations and Treaty of Waitangi Tribunal to challenge a consultation process they see as lacking in genuine engagement and intent.

The latest government discussion document seeking input on what permanent forests should comprise of now has indigenous forests, transition forests , iwiowned, and long-lived exotics included in the types consulted on.

“The reality is the only place land will come from that is ETS eligible is from iwi or farmers,” Dewes said.

“All parties agree the price of carbon needs to go up to being about behaviour change. But with the tinkering of the ETS, the carbon price has collapsed, wiping billions off iwi and landowner wealth, while also scaring away future investors.

“Government has decoupled supply from demand, and with it removed the ability to finance

carbon, while iwi cannot raise finance on iwi-owned land for planting.”

Dewes notes the belief that permanent exotic trees are less than ideal continues to circulate. But he is frustrated at supporters of indigenous planting who offer no practical means for how those expensive, low-sequestering trees will actually be established.

Weekly July 3) but Dewes remains confident they are the most practical pathway.

“That is the crux of iwi intent. We also ultimately want native trees.”

He is backed by work at Scion, with a recently released paper on transitional forestry in Whakarewarewa Forest providing an example of how that can be achieved.

The report’s authors maintain NZ is well placed to lead the way in demonstrating how to transition existing plantation forestry to indigenous.

Dewes acknowledges the complexities such a model offers, but believes criticisms over future carbon payments and management should not result in it being thrown out.

His nursery has 12 million trees or 12,000ha due for planting through Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Hawke’s Bay, and Tairāwhiti regions.

“Our orders are looking full for next year, but everyone is talking that the boom may well be over for pine planting.

“Government policy does not look like it is going to support forestry in the ETS, and forestry sequestration could be pulled out of the ETS.”

Janett said with the exit of foreign buyers and domestic forestry firms, only farm plantings would be left, and these are endangered by rising farm costs.

He calls out the likes of Dame Anne Salmond, who has lambasted exotics and called for native plantings.

“We say show us how that in practical terms will be done. Transition forests are one way to achieve that.”

Transitional exotic-toindigenous forests have been challenged for their viability by some experts (see Farmers

“For iwi, we do not intend to sell our land, we can’t sell our land, and if it takes longer to get to the point where it supports natives then so be it.”

Having trained as a forester, Dewes appreciates concerns about permanent forest being left unmanaged and neglected.

“For me as a forester and as a Māori, to see that happen would be insulting, just as it would be for

a farmer to see their livestock not being looked after properly.”

He challenges the farm sector to think hard about how many permanent woodlots on farmland right now are actually being managed properly.

“No forest, whatever its purpose, should be left unmanaged.”

We say show us how, in practical terms, that will be done. Transition forests are one way to achieve that.

Te Kapunga Dewes Māori Forestry Association

STAUNCH: Māori Forestry Association chair Te Kapunga Dewes says iwi intend to hold rm on their push for the right to plant permanent exotic forests, and transition forests are one way to achieve that.

EXIT: Grant Dodson, head of the Forest Owners Association, says repeated changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme have made future investment untenable for forestry companies.

BACKWARD STEP: Forest Owners Association president Grant Dodson says a slowdown in forestation is a spectacular own goal for the farming sector, which could still bene t from having more, not less, forestry plantings.

Everyone is now really gun-shy given the proposals that are coming out from both Labour and National.

Dave Janett Forestry management director

Happy Valley placed in voluntary administration

Gerald Piddock NEWS Dairy

HAPPY Valley Nutrition has gone into voluntary administration, appointing Andrew Grenfell and Kare Johnstone of restructuring and advisory firm McGrathNicol.

The announcement, made on the Australian Stock Exchange, took effect on July 5.

The statement said that the administrators are undertaking an urgent review of HVN.

HVN chair Kevin Bush said the announcement is disappointing.

“HVN was able to continue during the extremely challenging covid period where New Zealand was in lockdown for nearly three years which materially impacted our ability to progress the project.

“Post-covid saw a material change in the dairy industry, particularly in HVN’s original ambition within the infant formula market, which is now seeing the negative impacts on other industry players.

“Our ability to identify and pursue a dairy protein strategy in the last eight months saw a significant amount of interest

and we were able to secure offtake agreements as previously announced.

“As a result of this HVN had several investors undertake due diligence and negotiations since April until Friday last week. However, unfortunately the current market conditions of increasing high interest rates, tightening milk supply and the continued emergence of China domestic milk supply have left HVN unable to secure the necessary funding to continue at this point.”

A first statutory meeting of creditors is expected to take place on July 18.

Historic stud scores in delayed bull sale

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Livestock

TURIHAUA Angus at Whangara, north of Gisborne, made a top price of $72,000 for two-year bulls sold by East Coast breeders when on-farm auctions were postponed for a week because of flooding and road damage.

Fellow Angus breeder Tangihau Angus at Rere paid the highest price, for Turihaua S272.

studs when selling 39 of 40 bulls at $15,640.

The high average exceeded last year and was boosted considerably by $68,000 paid for Tangihau S253 and $65,000 paid for Tangihau S271.

In its 50th anniversary sale Kaharau Angus sold 61 of the 63 offered and averaged $10,590.

HVN director Grant Horan also announced his resignation.

The news comes just a week after the company’s chief financial officer, Richard Chew, resigned to pursue another leadership opportunity.

The company aimed to build a milk processing factory in Otorohanga in Waikato.

Since April 2016, HVN has completed a site acquisition, secured a water supply licence, locked in land use consents to build the factory and has gained the necessary resource consents for air, storm water and wastewater discharges, and water supply to operate the facility.

Vendor Paul Williams said he is an exceptional bull by sire Stokman Southern Charm out of a cracking Turihaua Hulk daughter. The right to collect 100 semen straws for Turihaua herd use was retained.

In total Turihaua sold 70 out of 72 bulls offered and made an average of $10,792.

The inaugural on-farm auction for Orere Angus, Pehiri, Gisborne, started with a cracker price paid for Orere S12, sired by Waiterenui Theo N247. It was bought by Ratanui Angus. He made $65,000 for vendors Ben and Kylie Johnson in a brand-new sale ring, seats and rostrum.

Tangihau Angus under manager Dean McHardy returned the highest average of the East Coast

The top price was $24,000, paid for lot 12, Kaharau S535, sired by Kaharau Prince 18P333, and bought by the Herrick Land Company, Martinborough.

Kenhardt Angus at Wairoa had a full clearance of 48 bulls averaging $9854 and two high prices of $21,000 and $20,000.

Whangara Angus sold 29 out of 30, averaging $8500 with a top price of $14,000.

Turiroa Angus at Wairoa had a top price of $42,000 paid for Turiroa 21S557, sired by Shian Ranger.

He went to Tapiri and Whenuapapa studs.

Turiroa had a full clearance of 47 and averaged $12,574, the secondhighest of the Angus sales this year.

At the beginning of the run of postponed sales, Ratanui Angus at Wairoa had a full clearance of 28 bulls, averaged $10,357 and had a top of $18,000.

GROUNDED: This concept image shows where Happy Valley Nutrition had planned to build a milk processing factory in Otorohanga in Waikato.

WoolWorks sets up new division

Annette Scott NEWS Food and bre

WOOLWORKS New Zealand is set to make structural changes to its business model to, it says, realise future growth aimed at lifting farmgate returns.

The world’s largest woolscourer, WoolWorks will form a new division to explore and realise new opportunities to capture greater market value for wool.

WoolWorks chair Rob Hewett said WoolWorks Ventures will be focused on new projects and innovations that can deliver growth for the company, woolgrowers and the sector.

The existing WoolWorks business will continue to operate three wool scouring plants in Napier, Clive and at Washdyke in South Canterbury.

Hewett said the company is concerned that NZ woolgrowers are not receiving an adequate price for their wool.

“As a global leader in early stage wool processing, WoolWorks agrees that this situation must be addressed.

“These changes are about doing what we can to help lift returns for farmers.

“We can see several significant growth opportunities to enhance aspects of the value chain from the farm through to the end manufacturers and their customers.

“Creating WoolWorks Ventures is recognition that we cannot realise these opportunities through the existing business model.”

WoolWorks Ventures will be the vehicle to execute ambitious growth plans, he said.

“Our mission is to elevate NZ wool as a natural, sustainable and ethical fibre of value to consumers who seek products with these attributes.”

WoolWorks has invested heavily in decarbonisation and programmes such as the Science Based Targets initiative.

“We feel that it’s important that the value of these global commitments can be passed back through the chain to the farmer and woolgrower.”

Hewett said WoolWorks investment and the support of Wool Impact will assist the overall wool sector in the identification of new consumer-led uses and branding opportunities globally, which will add to demand with expected increased pricing for strong wool in the medium term.

“With a global move to natural and sustainable fibres through new and innovative products, models and changes in regulations, including eco-standards, NZ strong wool is set to find a more meaningful place in a rapidly evolving and changing marketplace for interior textiles and emerging opportunities.

“Much work is going on in the background to ensure that this happens, and the structural changes that we are making at WoolWorks are all about realising these opportunities.”

As part of the changes, long-term WoolWorks chief executive Nigel Hales has been elevated to the new role of company president.

Chief operating officer Tony Cunningham will assume the role of chief executive WoolWorks operations, while Rosstan Mazey is promoted to lead the new WoolWorks Ventures division.

MORE: SEE PAGE 20

CONCERNED: WoolWorks chair Rob Hewett says the company remains concerned that NZ woolgrowers are not receiving an adequate price for their wool.

Farmers urged to brace for a tough season

FINANCIAL experts say dairy farmers should focus on what they can control as they grapple with an uncertain milk price along with rising costs in the new milking season.

The sector is staring down the barrel of a challenging 12 months, with Fonterra’s midpoint opening milk price forecast for the new season at $8/kg milk solids.

Speaking at a Smaller Milk and Supply Herds seminar on tips for budgeting for the new season, rural accountant Cheyne Waldron from Waikato accountancy firm Bailey Ingram said 75% of its business consists of farmer clients.

“With farm costs increasing like they have and interest rates increasing like they have, it’s going to be a pretty tough next 12 months. It’s definitely profit under pressure,” Waldron said.

Interest rates have doubled, which is putting a lot of pressure on farm budgets. Banks are also being more independent with their farmer clients when it came to cashflows and budgeting, he said.

“They are wanting to see farmers prepare those forecasts and budgets themselves with the help of their accountant and advisers.”

Farmers should also try to be the best at those things they can control, he said.

“That comes down to animal husbandry, pasture management, team management, technical proficiency with equipment, planning and organising staff – all of those things that you can do to make yourself a better farmer.”

He recommended farmers have a 10-year plan broken down into one year at a time.

“We say to our clients that three out of every 10 years will be average, five out of 10 will be average, one out of 10, the gods will smile and everything will flourish and one out of every 10 will be a disaster.

“So plan for a bad year and put aside resources for when that bad year comes.”

He encouraged farmers to do their research, find out what works for them and make the most of their farm infrastructure.

“Look after your most important assets. That’s taking care of your farm, your animals, your staff, your family and you.”

Increasing gross farm revenue and decreasing expenses is often easier said than done. The farmer with the highest number of milk solids on a per hectare basis is not always the winner – “it’s the one with the highest profit per hectare”.

Farmers must also take ownership of their numbers and not just rely on their accountant

for this. Use cash management software and keep those numbers up to date as the season progresses, he said.

“Identify what your working capital [overdraft] needs are and when your OD is going to peak –generally in one or two months’

time from now is when we’re seeing that – and communicating that with your bank.”

If farmers need an extension on the overdraft, talk to the bank now rather than when the money is really needed, he said.

“Using your budget will give you more confidence – this is where it is, it’s ugly, but it can inform your decision making and help you over the next season.”

Waldron advised farmers to get their accounts to their accountant in early this season. If farmers leave it until December, they will not get it back from their accountant until February-March.

Dairy analyst Julia Jones reminded farmers this was not the first time the industry is being hit by a tough economic forecast. She urged them to make the most of rural professionals around them including advisers and bankers.

“Never ever let people leave you alone.

“We have been here before, there is no reason why we can’t weather this.”

She warned them not to play

chicken with financial management, but face it head-on.

Rabobank Waikato area manager Laurence Richmond said farming is a long game and what has occurred in the past 12 months is abnormal and not indicative of the larger picture.

He encouraged farmers to build a strong team around themselves to support them, look at their cashflows, their needs and wants. If there is a hole, start that conversation with the bank earlier rather than later about options to get some cashflow through that period.

“That’s the beast we’re dealing with on a daily basis at the moment.

“It’s a long game and there are plenty of people out there to support you.“

ROUGH: The dairy sector is in for a nancially challenging season as farmers face a stagnant milk price and high costs.

Gerald Piddock MARKETS Dairy

REPEAT: Dairy analyst Julia Jones says this is not the rst time the industry has been hit by a tough economic forecast.

It’s a long game and there are plenty of people out there to support you.

Laurence Richmond Rabobank Waikato

for you

PINZ Awards honour primary sector’s best

awards evening at Tākina, Wellington’s new convention and exhibition centre.

THE people whose efforts help farmers, foresters and fishers thrive locally and globally were honoured at the 2023 Primary Industries New Zealand Awards. Winners from 65 nominations across nine award categories were announced at the

AgResearch personnel took out three of the coveted trophies, indicative of the role that science and research plays in finding solutions to gnarly environmental, climate and production challenges.

The Science & Research Award went to the AgResearch Endophyte Discovery team for their development and commercialisation of strains of ryegrass with improved insect protection and plant persistence, coupled with fewer adverse effects on animal health.

Scientist Dr Louise Hennessy (Ngati Maniapoto) claimed the Emerging Leader Award for her efforts at AgResearch and other Crown research institutes championing support for early career researchers and a learning approach that blends matauranga Māori with western science.

And another AgResearch scientist, Dr Dave Leathwick, was presented with the Primary Industries Champion Award.

Praised by the Primary Industries New Zealand (PINZ) awards judging panel for his knowledge sharing and effective communication, Leathwick was said to have demonstrated “an unwavering commitment to the rural sector”.

DairyNZ’s Tararua Plantain Project and Adam Thompson of Restore Native Ltd received awards for their environmental work.

The plantain project started in 2018 and with the help of 80 Tararua dairy farmers, dairy companies, government and research partners, DairyNZ has been able to show that with 30% of plantain in pasture sward, nitrogen loss reductions of up to 50% are possible. The project won the Team & Collaboration Award.

Thompson’s love for restoring land has made him into one of New Zealand’s most passionate advocates for the country’s native trees and biodiversity.

His Cambridge nursery grows more than a million native trees to plant on farms and he leads by example, being well on his way to meeting his target of digging in 250,000 trees on his own beef finishing farm.

He was presented with the Kaitiakitanga/ Guardianship & Conservation Award.

The Fibre Producer Award went to Kaituna-based sawmill OneFortyOne for what the judges said was a “relentless drive” for improvement and adding value and, in large part by using their own fibre to power their kilms, dropping the sawmill’s greenhouse gas emissions by nearly half in the past decade.

A sustainability focus, export success and ploughing a portion of profit back into Bluff and Stewart Island/Rakiura community projects, where their 150 staff live, are some of the reasons Sanford Ltd’s Big Glory Bay Salmon was selected as Food & Beverage Producer Award winner.

The Technology Innovation Award went to James Bourke for the DairySmart NZ Ltd technology that enables higher animal performance while reducing the need for antibiotics and cutting antibiotic resistance within herds.

The Outstanding Contribution Award was presented to Professor Keith Woodford, beating former DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle and veteran Country Calendar producer and director Julian O’Brien.

The honorary professor of Agri-Food Systems at Lincoln University was recognised for his “long and meritorious” contribution to NZ’s primary industries, spanning five decades.

Gerald Piddock PEOPLE Awards

WINNER: Adam Thompson, left, of Cambridge’s Restore Native Ltd, won the PINZ Kaitiakitanga/ Guardianship & Conservation Award. He is with Todd Charteris, CEO of Rabobank, which sponsored the award.

Bringing health services to rural women

Neal Wallace PEOPLE Health

THE pivotal moment for Dr Helen Paterson was when she realised her gynaecological patient faced a three-hour midwinter drive home after undergoing a medical procedure.

“I thought, ‘I haven’t reduced her [health] risk. I have just increased it.’”

That moment resonated with Paterson until she realised the time had come for her to implement a plan that had been fermenting for some months.

The Dunedin gynaecologist had been considering establishing a mobile clinic to provide diagnostic services for rural women, filling the significant health gap she had identified in Otago and Southland.

Finally, the time was right.

Paterson sold her home and borrowed additional money to buy and outfit a van to provide gynaecological, colposcopy, sexual health and contraception services for women. She called it the Woman’s Health Bus.

“Our starting point was, could we pull up to a shearing shed and provide a clinic?

“The idea is for us to go to communities who invite us to

provide care that is needed but to also train health professionals to provide more care.

“Our 10-year plan is to work ourselves out of a job.”

The bus works with Health NZ (Te Whatu Ora) but also provides private clinics in centres such as Clyde, Oamaru, Gore and Queenstown.

In doing so it reduces the time it can take to follow up any abnormal test, identify looming health issues and enable earlier and quicker treatment.

Paterson said the one-to-one interaction also allows them to check potential issues, such as abnormal bleeding or suspected prolapse.

They have discovered issues such as undiagnosed cancer.

“We don’t treat people as a cervix. We treat them as people,” Paterson said.

The bus has also attended events that attract large numbers of rural people, such as shearing competitions. Recently it was at the South Island Dairy Event in Invercargill.

It averages two to three clinics a week.

It is also introducing new technology to be able to take a colposcopy or other samples, process them and provide a result one hour later – a real benefit for a rural health provider.

Dr Helen Paterson Woman’s Health Bus

It has borrowed a machine to perform this role but Paterson hopes to raise $60,000 to buy the bus’s own.

“We really are a rural country,” she said.

“Rural women work on their farms so it is hard to get away, to

Funding boost welcomed by Rural Support Trusts

Support Trusts, and the organisation’s national council will receive a funding boost to cope with the extra demands.

take a whole day off, which they are required to do to get to a town where these services are offered.”

She quotes a 2016 study that showed that it would cost someone living in Dunedin $80 to undergo a free health procedure in the city. In contrast, someone living in Central Otago and having to travel to Dunedin for the same procedure would face a cost of $800.

Paterson still works part of her time at the University of Otago and Health NZ.

She is assisted on the bus by nurse practitioner Emma

PREVENTION: Taking women’s health services to southern rural communities are, from left, nurse practitioner Emma Macfarlane, practice nurse Alice van Zijl and gynaecologist Dr Helen Paterson.

Macfarlane and practice nurse Alice van Zijl, who also use their skills to train health professionals in the procedures they offer in rural practices.

Paterson said it is very rewarding work.

“It makes you want to get up in the morning.

“Preventative care is so much better than treatment.”

Word of the health bus is spreading and Paterson said she is getting queries from other rural communities keen to operate their own buses.

A $2.4 million funding boost has been welcomed by Rural Support Trusts, which say they are being stretched by the successive adverse weather events that have hit the country since last October.

Of the $2.4m additional government funding, $1.9m is going to trusts based in the North Island to help deal with adverse weather events that began with late frosts hitting Bay of Plenty kiwifruit growers in October and continued with a series of storms since January.

The total package also includes $517,000 in baseline funding for Rural Support Trusts.

Rural Support Trust national chair Neil Bateup said trusts are busy but coping, helped by trusts in other regions taking some of the load.

“Our teams are very busy. There is a lot of support required and pressure on farmers and growers,” he said.

The extra funding will be used to ensure trusts can provide help, hold events so farmers and growers can get away from their businesses, and recruit rural professionals and technical support to provide advice along with counselling support.

Rural Communities Minister Kieran McAnulty said the network of 14 regional trusts provides free and confidential assistance to farmers and growers who are facing personal, financial, or climaterelated challenges.

This is especially needed in the North Island where trusts in Northland, WaikatoHauraki- Coromandel, East Coast Rural

“The funding will assist Rural Support Trusts to co-ordinate local recovery services, clean-up efforts, wellbeing events and extension workshops, and provide other specialised support.

“It will also include delivering regional recovery plans and providing one-on-one support and a mental health referral service for farmers and growers.”

Bateup said storms and adverse weather since late frosts hit last October have touched virtually every area of agriculture in the north of the country, impacting kumara, vegetables, kiwifruit, grapes, apples and livestock.

Notice of Election 2023 Board of Directors Election

Ravensdown has recently changed its governance structure with directors now elected to represent either the North or South Island areas. Three directors now represent each Island area with one director from each Island retiring by rotation each year.

Nominations are now called for candidates to stand for the pending director positions for both the North and South Island areas. Mike Davey (North Island) and Jane Montgomery (South Island) are the incumbent directors retiring by rotation this year and both have indicated they intend to stand for re-election.

Nominations must be made on the official form, which can be obtained from the Returning Officer. Each nomination form must be signed by the candidate and two nominators who must be transacting shareholders of Ravensdown and who are eligible to vote for the relevant Island area election. Nominations must be received by the Returning Officer by 5pm on Monday 14 August 2023.

For further information or nomination documents please contact the election helpline 0800 666 038 or email iro@electionz.com

Anthony Morton

Returning Officer - Ravensdown Limited PO Box 3138, Christchurch 8140

Our 10-year plan is to work ourselves out of a job.

Neal Wallace NEWS Community

TOUGH: Neil Bateup said storms and adverse weather since late frosts hit last October have touched virtually every area in the north of the country.

Call for more balanced approach on emissions

Richard Rennie NEWS Finance

NEW Zealand has to walk a tightrope as it tries to increase food production while also improving emissions efficiency and achieving its economic and social priorities, a Rabobank white paper says.

Released at the Primary Industries Summit in Wellington, the paper underscores that sustainability policies cannot be pursued at the expense of society and the economy.

Rabobank CEO Todd Charteris said NZ’s role would be best achieved by finding an appropriate balance between reducing agricultural sector emissions and contributing to global food security and rural community health and wellbeing.

He pointed to the impact of infrastructure damage on communities, and ecosystem threat ultimately affecting income and livelihoods.

“One of the most notable, and sensitive of these ecosystems is the supply and demand of food products, as a marginal undersupply can result in significant

price increases. An upset in the balance of this system often affects the poorest of the world’s population first and the most,” Charteris said.

He said NZ’s attempts to balance food security and emissions are particularly challenging due to agriculture’s significant contribution to the country’s overall emissions profile, as well as the oversized contribution the sector makes to global food supply. For every person NZ farmers feed domestically, they feed seven internationally.

use is reduced, and producers are compelled to go to 25% organic production. Canada’s efforts to cut emissions from fertiliser by 30% by 2030 did not take productivity losses into account and are still being formalised.

The white paper identifies 10 key building blocks to help achieve emissions reductions while also ensuring food security, good economic prospects and rural prosperity.

That rests on building a pathway that supports the industry’s emission efficiency transition. It is a core challenge over coming decades and will require certainty and rules allowing farmers to further grow and invest.

Charteris said a move from a climate of uncertainty and fear is necessary to kickstart investments needed for that transition.

The impact of the uncertainty is reflected in declining farmer confidence.

The paper notes that concerns over farmers’ mental health have been raised even at cabinet level in recent years.

Public and private partnership support would accelerate large scale emissions reduction incoming years, he said.

all stakeholders can access. Any change also needs to be incentivised rather than forced. “Intrinsic changes are always the best.

The report notes the impact of assorted overseas policies to try to mitigate agricultural emissions. The European Union’s Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy are estimated to risk seeing 20% of the continent’s grains and oil seeds lost as fertiliser and chemical

Since 2003 Rabobank has worked with an independent research group to track farmer confidence. Overall rural confidence was deeply negative in the first quarter of 2023, but showed a slight improvement on the exceptionally deep low of late 2022.

“Rural Proofing”, the drive by the minister of agriculture to better manage the personal and community-wide impacts of government policies, has included informing farmers on areas that need improvement, implementing the best processes and equipment to deal with them, and getting necessary data to a place that

“However, in the case of emission reductions, the speed and magnitude of change is too big to be achieved through this kind of intrinsic change alone,” Charteris said.

“Change needs to be incentivised.”

Other key building blocks include a reduction of food waste and building an environment that is more conducive to research and development.

Rural Land Company tackles its low share price

buyback and to repay a convertible note recently issued to buy forestry assets.

selling on the market and bigger shareholders are sitting tight, he said.

patience of investors will be rewarded as NZXL continues to increase its scale and earnings.

NEW Zealand Rural Land Company has suspended paying an interim dividend in favour of buying back shares that are currently priced by the market at around half of their net asset value.

The directors claim that putting money into buying back shares is more attractive for shareholders than paying dividends.

The company will use available cash flow for an on-market

NZL shares are trading at 88c, having fallen from around $1.05 over two months from March to May.

Shares in NZL had a net asset value (NAV) of $1.65 on December 31, the most recent balance date.

Co-founder and director of Rural Land Management Richard Milsom said NZL shares are somewhat illiquid, and the price is suffering along with all other listed property stocks at present.

Only small parcels of shares are

“While the price is way down, the directors have decided to buy back shares in the interests of all shareholders,” Milsom said. Showing his faith in the company, NZL chair Rob Campbell, the prominent director, economist and former trade unionist, has purchased a number of smaller on-market share parcels in recent times and now has 942,000.

Campbell told the annual meeting on June 23 that the

“History shows it is also reasonable to expect [that] as this occurs the discount to NAV closes.”

The guidance by directors of adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) for the current financial year ending December 31 is 5.25c to 5.75c a share.

The interim dividend to June 30, which has been withheld, would have been about 2c and with 140 million shares issued the cash now available for the share buyback

would be around $2.8 million. Campbell said the outlook for NZL remains extremely positive as its farm and forest leases incorporate regular and uncapped rent reviews that benefit from higher inflation.

About two-thirds of the leased portfolio will have CPI rental reviews from April 15, 2024 and the CPI increase over the three years NZL has been operating totals 18%.

NZL currently owns just under 15,000ha of farm and forestry land and has full occupancy with eight high-quality tenants.

PARTNERSHIP: Rabobank CEO Todd Charteris says public-private partnerships may provide a valid pathway for New Zealand farmers to adopt to emissions reductions.

An upset in the balance of this system often affects the poorest of the world’s population first and the most.

Todd Charteris Rabobank NZ

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Land

100% IN NEW ZEALAND MADE

As a 100% NZ-owned mutual, we’re not here for the bank accounts of overseas owners. We’re here for the New Zealand farmers and growers who are our members.

Ask around about us, or give us call on 0800 366 466.

We’re here for the good of the country.

Comvita sets sights on mānuka trademark

THE chief executive officer of Comvita, David Banfield, wants to create an even bigger honey legacy – and the company is one step closer after buying the only chain of specialty honey stores in Singapore for S$8.5 million ($10.36m).

This comes after the “brilliant” week he had travelling with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins as part of a business trade delegation to China.

He said New Zealand needs to protect mānuka internationally as a taonga (treasure) of Aotearoa.

“It is of the highest strategic importance that we continue to do everything possible to protect mānuka as an autonomous species from Aotearoa,” Banfield said.

Comvita needs to continue supporting activities that deliver the right outcome for the country by securing trademark rights for mānuka honey produced in NZ, he said.

The new relationship with HoneyWorld will enhance Comvita’s ability to authentically tell the complete NZ mānuka honey story within the wider Asian market.

Banfield said he is “superexcited” to bring HoneyWorld into the Comvita whānau and they connected in a very deep way.

“I shared with the HoneyWorld team yesterday the most important thing in the world is he tangata, he tangata, he tangata (the people, the people, the people), and that’s what we’re getting here.”

Banfield said Comvita started a discussion with HoneyWorld because he was curious about the benefits of combining the two businesses.

“We accept the commercial reality but, philosophically, our values fit with HoneyWorld. We’re so aligned that we really do see this as a sum of the parts, which will create something that’s even bigger.

“Within the business, we’re describing it more as a marriage than an acquisition to create an even bigger legacy.”

Banfield said Comvita is committed to leaving the world a better place through climate action, ensuring bee health, biodiversity and focusing on reinvesting profits into causes for social and environmental benefits.

“And that’s something the whole organisation really believes, that we can have such a long-term positive impact,” he said.

Singapore is a market that connects the world with Asia and connects Asia with the world, Banfield said.

He said HoneyWorld has a really strong presence in Singapore, where founder and director Pearline Goh created the company more than 25 years ago. She will stay with Comvita and help the business grow in Singapore.

With the two working in partnership, Banfield said they’d have 50% of the mānuka honey market, bring it closer to its 2025 financial year goal of $50m earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation.

“There’s a big influx of people here, I’m sat right in the middle of Singapore right now. And what you see is the vibrancy – there’s so many people here. I think Singapore is one of the world’s great cities, great countries.

“And it’s a brilliant opportunity for us to really grow and see the same success that we get through Hong Kong.”

As well as having 18 outlets

throughout Singapore as part of the HoneyWorld partnership, he said there are some extra elements coming in Singapore’s Changi Airport. Banfield said Comvita will “undoubtedly” continue to innovate and tailor products for the market.

“We iterate and reiterate at speed for the local market. And that means we can test the minimum viable proposition.

“And we can become even more relevant – that’s an exciting part of our future.”

For the Comvita group, the acquisition is forecast to deliver a 22% improvement in earnings per share. HoneyWorld is forecasting revenue in the 2024 financial year of more than S$13m. The acquisition is to be funded by debt.

Massey, Lincoln rise in global rankings

the latest rankings, to take 362nd spot.

MASSEY University has risen more than 50 places in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds world university rankings, and Lincoln University has lifted its global ranking for the third year running.

Massey is now ranked equal 239th in the world and third in New Zealand, up from 292nd and fifth respectively.

The university’s academic reputation has also climbed to 286th.

This is the fifth consecutive year that Massey has been ranked in the top 300 for both the overall and academic reputation rankings.

Lincoln moved up six places in

It placed 62nd globally in the International Faculty Ratio, signalling its strong international appeal to academic staff.

It is the third consecutive year Lincoln has lifted its global ranking.

Massey has also done well in the three new indicators introduced by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) this year –sustainability, international research network and employment outcomes.

For sustainability, the university ranked equal 58th and was ranked first in New Zealand and 215th globally for the new international research network indicator. Massey also received a ranking of 157th for graduate employment outcomes.

Lincoln was placed 241st in the employment outcomes indicator and 379th for sustainability. It has the highest student employment rate in NZ, with 84%.

Massey Provost Professor Giselle Byrnes said Massey has performed extremely well in the three new indicators.

“The focus of these on sustainability, employment outcomes and international research collaborations strongly aligns with our university strategy and our natural strengths as a globally connected, research-intensive university.”

Lincoln Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards said Lincoln University’s improved overall performance is very encouraging.

Hear from farming’s future.

On the latest Take 5 with Farmers Weekly podcasts we asked the seven FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Finalists for their opinion on how to overcome farming’s biggest challenges.

TREASURE: Comvita plans to help secure trademark rights for mānuka honey produced in New Zealand.

National food waste audit to be launched

Zealand include products from plants, animals, aquaculture and fisheries.

HOW much food is being wasted in New Zealand?

A group of University of Otago researchers is determined to find out and, with support from the government, has launched a national food waste audit.

Food Waste Innovation Otago has been awarded a contract by the Ministry for the Environment to estimate food waste in New Zealand, in response to a select committee investigation into food waste in 2020 .

Research lead Professor Sheila Skeaff, of the Department of Human Nutrition, said the group will be measuring food loss and waste across the food supply chain.

The scope of the research aims to capture all imported or domestically produced food and drink throughout the food supply chain. Foods produced in New

“It includes food waste happening in processing or manufacturing, at the wholesale, retail and redistribution stages, and food wasted at home or outof-home during preparation and consumption,” she said.

Skeaff said the study will involve analysing 2022 food production data, and interviews with farmers, producers, food distribution, retail, industry, food service, and hospitality businesses. The group is also keen to find out where food waste ends up.

Australia recently carried out a similar study and Skeaff said they would use some of the information to help frame their work

“We can’t go to every farmer, clearly. But I do think that some people in the industry have a pretty good idea of what their food waste is, so we’ll look at that.”

Skeaff said food waste is a huge issue worldwide, but the difficulty is knowing what to do about it.

Food waste has negative environmental, social and economic impacts through wasting of resources, greenhouse gas emissions, missed opportunities to achieve food security, and the economic cost to producers, retailers and consumers.

A lot of time, effort and money goes into growing and producing food and when wasted it often ends up in landfills, creating more greenhouse gas emissions.

“That’s the situation where it becomes a waste of resources the whole way along.

“We have to balance that and be pragmatic because we can’t save everything. Sometimes things don’t meet specifications or you have a weather event and crops are destroyed, but we have to do what we can.”

Skeaff felt the majority of food waste in New Zealand comes at the consumer end of the production line, through cafes, restaurants and in the home.

“Because production is about incomes and generating incomes there are a lot of things that happen along the food supply chain that makes sure there is a minimisation of food loss and waste.

“When it gets to the consumer, because there is lower link with production itself, there is probably quite a bit of waste happening.”

Food waste in the home is a big part of the problem and “that requires a totally different approach because you’ve got to change people’s behaviour and the way they shop”.

Skeaff said Food Waste Innovation Otago will report back to the Ministry for the Environment by the end of the year. It will then be up to the ministry “to decide what interventions they want to carry out”.

New crevasse on HB farm may be very old

THE crevasse that appeared on a Hawke’s Bay farm recently is likely to be the reactivation of a historical landslip in the area, possibly thousands of years old, according to a GNS Science expert.

The 80m by 20m crack was discovered on the Ongaonga property of Matt Holden and business partner Hamish Bibby on June 24, as the region was pounded by more than 200mm of rain, which came on top of Cyclone Gabrielle in February.

Holden was at a loss to explain the crevasse but said it did not appear to be a traditional slip, which they had plenty of experience with. He questioned if it had been caused by an earthquake.

GNS Science engineering geomorphologist Brenda Rosser said after viewing regional

LiDAR, a high resolution topographical map of the land surface taken in 2020-21, it was evident there were multiple historic landslips in the area.

“We don’t know how old these are, but they possibly haven’t moved for several thousand years,” she said.

Rosser said it appears the latest land movement is the reactivation of a landslide, and not caused by an earthquake.

“Perhaps the toe of the landslide has been affected by down-cutting in the river, which may have destabilised it?

“We are seeing a lot of these big old landslides reactivate this year, especially with all the rain and extreme events. It appears this lower, older landslide has retrogressed (enlarged at the head-scarp) causing the crack on the land.”

Rosser said it is a typical deep-seated slump or slide, and “we definitely don’t need an earthquake to see landslides like this”.

SCARRED: This photograph shows the full extent of the crevasse.

Photo: Matt Holden

Craig Page NEWS Environment

BINNED: Food Waste Innovation Otago manager Grace Clare, left, and co-directors Professor Miranda Mirosa, Professor Phil Bremer and Professor Sheila Skeaff, hope to determine how much food is being wasted in New Zealand.

Photo: University Of Otago

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End-of-season wool prices in a tangle

Annette Scott MARKETS Food and bre

WOOL prices were all over the place at the end-of-season sales in both the North and the South Island.

Wool auctions were held in both islands on June 29 with a massive total of just under 24,000 bales offered across the two sales.

Considering that most exporters have a June 30 end of financial year, along with the North and South Island wool scours being booked out until at least October, the market was always going to waiver with this volume of wool being offered on one day, DevoldNZ wool manager Craig Smith said.

It seems like the wool brokers were desperate to get wool sold due to their year-end as well.

Clients are cautious with money, more worried about putting food on the table than wool on their back or carpets on their floors.

Craig Smith DevoldNZ

“Not the smartest decision to load up the last week with such a high volume,” Smith said.

As predicted, only 72% of the offering was sold – 17,000 bales.

PGG Wrightson South Island wool manager Rob Cochrane reported a large South Island offering for the final 2022-2023 sale including some “superb” Otago Perendale types, which drew support from buyers.

The super long, white, pre-lamb fleece was very sought after on a very limited offering that saw this wool take an increase of 3%, pushing the top price for good style crossbred fleece to $3.90/kg.

Average colour fleece on a small offering remained at the same level, $3.10, as the previous South Island level, while poor coloured fleece was 2-3% cheaper at $2.50.

Super white second shear 50100mm was also very sought after, up 3% and fetching $3.60 on any wool that had supporting test figures on brightness and high yields.

Wool that was slightly off colour or showed poor preparation was discounted heavily off the super nice wool.

In the North Island sale, across the board all types were discounted from the South Island levels by 30-50c less.

“There was a real correction. Apart from a handful of good fleece lines the market trend was down across the board. Bidding was erratic over some lots and very subdued with others,” PGG Wrightson North Island auctioneer Steve Fussell said.

The North Island offering comprised 60% crossbred second shear wools that saw price levels back 3-4% on the last North Island and the tandem South Island sale.

Good style crossbred fleece topped at $3 with average and poor style down to $2.70 and $2.27. Second shear ranging in style and length made $2.45-$2.82.

Poor coloured lambs were totally neglected, struggling to get over the $1/ greasy kg gross.

Oddment, bellies and pieces were also neglected, selling between 2050c/gsy kg gross.

“By the time you have transported these bales to auction, there would be zero income.”

Industry commentators attribute the dive in prices to the only two available scours at Clyde, Hawke’s Bay and Washdyke in the South Island being totally booked out until the third quarter of this year as well as the costs associated with storage, financing and trucking to the South Island to meet shipping and contractual deadlines.

Woolworks’ Awatoto scour in Napier is still out of action following extensive flood damage from Cyclone Gabrielle.

Quality and colour, given the climatic conditions have also been a huge factor, especially in the North Island.

Word has it that Woolworks is confident of having its Awatoto scour back up and running by November.

“Hopefully this will relieve any of the backlog pretty promptly,” Smith said.

On the finer wool front he said Devold New Zealand has ended the season 20% back, but in line with budget following last year’s exceptional season.

“And in all this, it is not only NZ having the ups and downs in the wool markets, but also a global issue as clients are cautious with money, quite frankly more worried about putting food on the table than wool on their back or carpets on their floors.”

VOLUME: Craig Smith says of the glut of bales that it was ‘not the smartest decision to load up the last week with such a high volume’.

LIMIT: Only 72% of wool offered at the end-of-season sales sold – 17,000 bales.

An update for the rural community Consultation starts on development of biodiversity credit system to incentivise protection of native wildlife

The Government is exploring whether a biodiversity credit system could help to incentivise the protection and restoration of native wildlife in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Many farmers and other landowners already invest time and resources in protecting indigenous biodiversity on their land. Despite their e orts, thousands of native New Zealand species are threatened with, or at risk of, extinction.

A biodiversity credit system would help to conserve important habitats and species by enabling landowners who protect, restore and enhance native wildlife, to earn credits for their actions.

Private companies, charities, investors, philanthropists and others who wish to support biodiversity protection would be able to buy biodiversity credits from landowners.

Native wildlife could include native plants, animals, and their habitats. Activities the system could support include protecting or re-establishing forests, restoring wetlands, planting native trees and shrubs, creating bu er zones near protected habitats and connecting wildlife corridors so birds and other animals can expand their habitats and better survive.

Biodiversity credit systems are being developed overseas and in

Aotearoa New Zealand. There is interest across di erent sectors in establishing a system here to support wildlife protection by farmers, landowners, tangata whenua, local and central government.

The Government wants to support and enable the right biodiversity credit system for New Zealand. The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and Department of Conservation (DoC) are seeking public feedback on how a biodiversity credit system could be set up and what role the Government should play in it.

MfE and DoC will make recommendations to the Government on how the credit system will work and what protection and restoration e orts qualify for biodiversity credits after they have considered public feedback.

Being able to verify that biodiversity credits are protecting and restoring wildlife is key to the system’s success. The system needs to have high integrity in order to attract investment from individuals and organisations committed to protecting indigenous biodiversity.

Go to consult.environment. govt.nz for information about the consultation which runs from 7 July to 3 November.

More consistent protection for native wildlife

Many councils have protected signi cant natural areas well, but the Government wants all councils to do this well.

A new layer of protection, which provides clear and consistent standards for identifying, managing, and protecting our native plants, animals, insects and birds, will come into force on August 4, 2023 and will be implemented over several years.

Protection for native biodiversity has been in the Resource Management Act (RMA) since 1991, but the Government acknowledges there’s been a lack of guidance for councils on how to protect areas of native biodiversity. This has resulted in councils applying the policies inconsistently, exposing some of them to legal action.

To address this, the Government has made the criteria for identifying and managing these areas the same across the country. New biodiversity policies will provide clearer direction for councils, landowners, Māori, iwi and others on how to identify, manage and protect areas where there is a signi cant variety of native

plants, animals, insects and birds that are in decline.

The National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (NPSIB):

• has one set of criteria for councils to identify signi cant natural areas to maintain consistency

• requires councils to identify signi cant natural areas in the next ve years

• requires all regional councils to have a regional biodiversity strategy (currently only a few councils have these).

How does the NPSIB address the farming sector’s concerns?

• The Government has tightened up the NPSIB criteria, so that common indigenous species don’t result in councils identifying land as signi cant natural areas unless they are rare within a region. Examples are mānuka, which is common across the country, and matagouri, which is common on farmland in the South Island high country.

• The NPSIB acknowledges the value of voluntary conservation e orts by giving councils scope to allow landowners with appropriate QEII National Trust covenants, Conservation Act covenants or kawenata to undertake activities provided for in those agreements and approved management plans.

• Renewing pasture species is part of many farming and growing systems and may a ect signi cant natural areas. Councils’ policy statements and plans must provide for the continuation of an existing regular cycle of periodic maintenance or improvement, provided certain conditions are met to manage environmental e ects.

• The process of identifying signi cant natural areas needs to involve landowners.

• The NPSIB is clear that existing use rights under the RMA remain.

What changes for farmers and growers?

Existing activities, such as grazing, can continue provided their e ects remain at the same level and don’t increase the loss of native plants or animals in a signi cant natural area or degrade the area.

There are no requirements for farmers to fence or do pest control.

Councils will update plans and strategies over the coming years to bring in new requirements in the NPSIB.

Changes for farmers and growers will depend on how their council identi ed and managed signi cant natural areas previously. For some districts, there may be little change, while for others change may be more substantial.

More information

The Ministry for the Environment has produced a range of detailed information sheets that explain the NPSIB and how this will a ect farmers and others. These information sheets are available on the Ministry’s website at environment.govt.nz

A biodiversity credit system would help to protect native wildlife, including kererū.

Letters of the week

Ask Mr Google

Larry Mouat Dar eld

I ALWAYS enjoy Alan Emerson’s alternative views, but one question he asks, in “An eruption of ignorance over emissions plan” (July 3), as to why “no one is talking about the global warming effect of volcanoes”, is easily answered by Mr Google.

Alan’s assertion that “one eruption 32 years ago can negate all man-made emissions in history” also requires some simple fact checking!

The NASA website concedes that, while volcanic eruptions do cause an increase in atmospheric CO2, human activities emit a Mount St Helens-sized eruption of CO2 every 2.5 hours and a Mount Pinatubo-sized eruption of CO2 twice daily.

The website goes on to say: “Essentially, CO2 emissions from human activities dwarf those of volcanoes.”

Travels well

David and Moira Fenemore UK

A doctor who has made rural NZ better

From the Editor

AMONG the myriad of news stories that surface throughout the country each day there are gems to be found – a story that’s moving, thought-provoking and should be made compulsory reading for all.

The tale of Dunedin gynaecologist Dr Helen Paterson is one such story.

Concerned about a lack of health services in Otago and Southland, Paterson for months pondered setting up a mobile clinic to provide diagnostics services for rural women.

The final prompt came while she was treating a patient and realised the woman faced a three-hour midwinter drive home after undergoing a medical procedure in Dunedin.

“I thought, ‘I haven’t reduced her [health] risk. I have just increased it,’” Paterson said. Hitting up the local health board or government for funding would have been fruitless. Instead, she sold her house and borrowed money to buy and kit out a van to provide gynaecological, colposcopy, sexual health and contraception services for women. The Woman’s Health Bus was born.

The health bus now works with Te Whatu Ora but also provides private clinics in some southern centres. Staff have already discovered undiagnosed cancers, so it is proving to be a lifesaver.

“The idea is for us to go to communities who invite us to provide care that is needed but to also train health professionals to provide more care,” Paterson said.

Rural healthcare is a different beast again. The focus on establishing larger hospitals and key medical services in main centres means those living in more isolated areas have greater difficulty accessing the care they need.

A 2016 study found it would cost someone living in Dunedin $80 to undergo a free health procedure in the city. Someone living in Central Otago and having to travel to Dunedin for the same procedure would face a cost of $800.

Earlier this year Farmers Weekly wrote a series of stories about the issues facing rural health services in this country.

Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network chair Fiona Bolden was blunt in her assessment: rural health services are collapsing.

HI STEVE,

Just read your last column in the Farmers Weekly and wanted to thank you for the great insight into New Zealand farming. Friday morning breakfast will not be the same without catching up with your latest musings.

I first read one of your articles in a copy of NZ Farmer in November 1998. I brought the copy back to the UK and that following Christmas Moira bought me a subscription as a present. Back then it took nearly four weeks to get here. Carried on with Straight Furrow and now digitally with Farmers Weekly.

It was great to visit five years ago. Time flies and we hope you both have a great retirement. Did you get your planned beach house?

“Our 10-year plan is to work ourselves out of a job.”

It is a heart-warming story, but sadly highlights the serious inadequacies of New Zealand’s health system.

When a doctor is so concerned about the quality of the service being provided that they feel compelled to dig into their own pockets to make improvements, we know we have a problem.

Healthcare funding, or the lack of it, is an age-old issue in this country. You only have to consider the regularly reported lengthy waiting lists for treatment to know the strain it is under.

For tips and ideas, visit farmstrong.co.nz

A shortage of health professionals, an ageing workforce and a lack of access to diagnostic services are the key problems. In addition, rural health providers battle to provide emergency and after-hours care or the management of complex health conditions, rural hospitals are under pressure and access to diagnostic services is limited.

The current government, like many before it, vowed to address the issues but until concrete solutions are put in place the public has a right to be skeptical.

In the meantime, the Helen Patersons of this world will continue to feel compelled to go the extra mile to keep people healthy.

If you ever get to the UK, come and visit us. Thanks again for showing us that you may be half the world away but we all share the common problems of the weather and the government.

• Missing your weekly dose of Steve WynHarris? Enjoy a selection of his nest columns on farmersweekly.co.nz from today.

Best letter WINS a quality hiking knife

Send your letter to the Editor at Farmers Weekly P.0. Box 529, Feilding or email us at farmers.weekly@agrihq.co.nz

I perform at my best when I build rest and recovery into my daily schedule.

Sam Whitelock Farmstrong Ambassador

Craig Page Deputy editor

When a doctor is so concerned about the quality of the service that they feel compelled to dig into their own pockets to make improvements, we know we have a problem.

In my view ... We have to see we’re all in this together

Dorenda Britten

A longstanding judge at the NZ Hi-Tech Awards who has provided mentorship via Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, SODA Inc and Canterbury University.

IPARTICIPATED in a breakout session on the second day of the E Tipu Agri Summit in Christchurch. I do my best to stay informed of the Aotearoa Circle’s initiatives through its newsletters, but the first half of the presentation went over the heads of many participants, including myself.

The session was designed to address the question “How can a nation with agribusiness at its heart balance the needs of its communities, its producers, its environment and its international markets?”

Jack Keey’s intention to present an overview of the national Mana Kai and agri-adaption roadmap initiative would have been of interest to many, but maybe because of time constraints, it was very rushed, and therefore little in the way of context supplied.

The second part of the workshop was intended to evaluate the work by fielding questions and answers from the audience. The questions were easy enough to answer but it was quite difficult to connect them to the initial presentation. Once again,

time was not on his side.

This is a complex issue and I’m left to conclude that this brief workshop format was not conducive to genuine feedback and may have missed the mark.

What was reinforced for me through this session was that we have two operating models with a fragile bridge between. On one side we have very clever minds with clean fingernails working on solutions, and on the other side we have totally practical people left with the burden and worry of implementation.

A number of conversations throughout the day related to this gap between idea and implementation. We love to study, research, and write reports. To that point, I hear that at least six organisations in New Zealand are producing reports on the future of NZ agriculture, or food and fibre as it is now called.

Our lack of ability to implement has long been recognised as part of the innovation journey. We have ideas but we don’t know how to implement them successfully. I wonder if this is not just another example, albeit on a very large and critical scale.

Arguably, a significant majority of NZ farms are still single-holding, privately owned properties. In that scenario, every aspect of running that business falls on the farmer. The farmer is

beset with information from every possible angle.

In times of rapid change, it’s important to acknowledge that people under stress do not make good decisions if they make decisions at all. I feel that there has been a distinct failure to understand this essential facet of human nature when designing new land and water policies. In short, many of our farmers are overwhelmed.

It is this overwhelm that needs to be addressed before we can expect notable uptake of new ideas.

Change is hard. From a human point of view, I am on the side of farmers. But with the future firmly in mind, I am unable to support any remaining belligerent ignorance of the issues and the implications for all of us. Again, there is little argument that change needs to happen and fast; but engagement, for some, is the problem.

As a farmer, being critical of attempts made by city dwellers to bridge the gap would only be repeating, in reverse, accusations previously levelled by city people at farmers. There cannot be a rational argument for New Zealanders not seeing ourselves in this together.

In 2021/22, we modelled a programme designed to renew the fellowship between country

STRESS: In times of rapid change, Dorenda Britten says, it’s important to acknowledge that people under stress do not make good decisions, if they make decisions at all.

On one side we have very clever minds with clean fingernails working on solutions, and on the other side we have totally practical people left with the burden and worry of implementation.

and city. We got very small seed funding from our government, but the majority of the project has been advanced through gifts of time and considerable patience.

The idea behind the Bridging the Divide project is quite simple: That we give city people the opportunity to develop a one-onone relationship with a farmer, within his/her environment. This is in the hope of addressing our

oversimplified urban view of the issues and decision-making processes of people on the land. We also want people on the land to feel understood and supported during a time when they are under pressure to embrace change.

There are many positive farmerto-farmer support programmes, in addition to all the various fantastic initiatives in support of our agricultural sector. But we wished to apply different thinking to the core problem in the shape of a system-designed perspective that places people at its core.

It is now our job to seek support to continue the work and scale the effect. Hopefully without sounding grandiose, to help heal a festering wound between city and country and to help our agriculture industries to regain their mana in our broader NZ society.

Not the time to turn our back on GE

OVER the past several weeks, we have seen both sides of the debate on whether we should modify the present strict regulations governing genetic engineering, particularly in agriculture.

There have always been advantages and disadvantages in all discoveries, starting from gunpowder, and with plastics in our age.

In this current debate, Malcolm Bailey made the case for modifying the strict regulations regarding GE, which National now supports.

Bailey, who over many decades has filled many roles in agriculture leadership, is universally respected, with most farmers accepting his sound reasoning. He has always had the best interests of farmers and New Zealand at heart.

Jon Carapiet eloquently made the case for keeping in place the strict laws of keeping NZ GE free. He stated that our country and the farming community are best served by organic and GEfree plants and animals. Space

does not allow me to dispute his claims, but I will give one example. Previously, the cotton farmers of Queensland used toxic chemicals to stop insects and diseases destroying their crop. This practice is no longer necessary because their crop has been GE modified to resist these destructive factors. I see the benefits of no toxic chemicals in the plant and soil; the saving of fossil fuel to

help the planet; and a considerable cost saving in chemicals, fuel and labour for the farmer. Many people – if not most – do not like change. They are more comfortable with what they know and understand. Their thinking I can understand, as at my age I have difficulty with computers and hi-tech phones. This situation has always been with us, going back to the Luddites, who in the early

1800s smashed looms and knitting machines in England’s textile factories because they feared for their jobs.

In 1993, when I was working on an informative 100-page booklet on behalf of the Romney Council, I met with a biologist, Dr Bill Jordan of Victoria University in Wellington. In our conversation he explained the “mechanics” of GE, which at that time I had no knowledge of. I said that our people would not tolerate such genetic manipulation. His answer was, maybe so in our country, but not so in other countries, where they would exploit it and leave us far behind. His forecast was correct.

With our current laws, we are denied crops and grasses that withstand damage or destruction from diseases and insects. We have to resort to the use of harmful chemicals for their control. Also, the GE-modified plant that reduces methane emissions from our farm animals would help reduce global warming. The methane problem could be eliminated by conventional methods of breeding from animals that produce less of this gas. Some ram breeders are already doing this. However, with my experience

of breeding sheep for 34 years to eventually have sheep that has a high degree of resistance to worm challenges, I believe it will take many decades to achieve the same result in methane emissions. We simply do not have the time, with climate change requiring urgent action.

I see many advantages of GE, especially in the medical world, where it is a universally accepted practice. The question I would ask is, would someone who supports keeping NZ GE free refuse a life-saving GE treatment for themselves or a much-loved child? There is much more soul searching required.

Gordon Levet Internationally recognised sheep breeder

ON BALANCE: Sheep breeder Gordon Levet says there have always been advantages and disadvantages to human discoveries.

Primary Industries Summit right up there

Alternative view

with little policy detail. We were told that the economy was going backwards and the future under Labour was doom and gloom. He said that under a National government we were “going to rediscover our mojo”, whatever that meant.

We heard that National was going to “fix the economy” but he didn’t say how.

That was followed by two Rabobank executives who I found impressive. They were extremely positive about our future. We were told how the world trade scene is changing and of the need to balance climate change and food security.

THE Primary Industries Summit and Awards

were held last week in Wellington. It is the fourth summit I’ve attended and was by far the best.

Unlike the old days when primary industry conferences were mainly attended by oldish blokes, we now have men and women and an abundance of younger agricultural professionals.

Four hundred were at the conference, with 550 attending the dinner and awards. It was impressive.

The basic message from the summit was that New Zealand farmers are doing well and there is a great future ahead of us. It was good to hear.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins opened the conference. I hadn’t seen him live before and he was impressive and non-political.

I firmly believe our primary industries have a considerable future in NZ. We are certainly going to have to adapt in some areas but we don’t need massive change.

We had a detailed briefing on his recent China trip. I hadn’t realised that China’s ambition is to double its middle-income earners, which gives us massive potential.

He talked about aggressively pursuing free trade agreements, which was pertinent as we are about to sign an FTA with the European Union.

He said the food and fibre sector is at the forefront of NZ’s economic health.

On climate change, he explained that we need a global commitment but that we need to be part of it. The government is investing in science with the aim of reducing farm GHG emissions.

He mentioned the government’s commitment to get broadband into all rural areas and candidly admitted the government hadn’t got everything right.

The prime minister was followed by the leader of the opposition, who was less than impressive.

It was, simply, an election-year speech full of broad statements

The comment was made that there is no point in us reducing GHGs while exporting the problem to a less carbon efficient country. The Rabobank executives also talked about incentivising change rather than forcing it.

Professor David Hughes presented an entertaining explanation of the future of food trade.

He explained some of the current international negatives to food purchasing, such as the inclusion of palm oil, soy-fed cattle from Brazil, slave labour and being beefriendly. He reiterated the message that NZ is in a good space.

We heard from the ambassadors or trade commissioners from the EU, Australia, the United Kingdom and China. Again, their message was extremely positive for our food and fibre sector.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor spoke of how our exports had increased by 40% since 2017 and this was achieved despite setbacks including M bovis, covid and extreme weather events.

He said we have “incredible trade opportunities” and that “NZ brings values”. Countries like to work with us as a “dependable, trusted partner”.

On a sombre note, he explained how Singapore is working on developing protein out of air.

Ministry for Primary Industries chief executive Ray Smith followed the minister with the message that the future is bright and that “we are the best in the world at food production”. For the future we need to “expand our reputation, diversify our exports and build our markets”.

I found the Primary Industries Summit extremely worthwhile. We learnt of our opportunities, threats and emerging trends. I firmly believe our primary industries have a considerable future in NZ. We are certainly going to have to adapt in some areas but we don’t need massive change.

The organisation was superb and the choice of speakers inspired. I’ll be back next year.

A real highlight for me is the Primary Sector Awards dinner. The awards cover all parts of our primary industries including team and collaboration, science and research, technology and innovation, emerging leaders, fibre and food producers, conservation and industry champions.

The finalists included large corporations, research organisations, rural businesses and farmers. The Outstanding Contribution went to Professor Keith Woodward, who has been an industry stalwart for decades.

He is currently Honorary Professor of Agri-Food systems at Lincoln University.

I couldn’t think of anyone more worthy.

What was disappointing was the lack of any mainstream media covering the event.

They might have learnt where their future bread and butter was coming from and the truth about our primary industries rather than the ill-informed spin offered by

the likes of Peta and Greenpeace. The rural media was there, with Farmers Weekly the conference’s media partner, but the contributions deserved wider recognition.

My sincere thanks to both Federated Farmers and Brightstar for organising such a successful, relevant and memorable event.

Indian ‘early harvest’ for a bumper crop in NZ

INDIA’S economy has emerged as a bright spot in the aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic. Currently the fifth largest global economy, it is predicted to become the third largest by 2030.

It is expected India will contribute 15.4% to global economic growth this year, second only to China.

Prioritising our trade and economic relationship with both countries should be a key goal for New Zealand.

This is already happening with China, where Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has just led a trade delegation to Beijing that included a meeting with leader Xi Jinping. But NZ’s economic relationship with India has not received the same sort of attention. The last prime minister to lead a trade delegation there was John Key in 2016.

The free trade agreement (FTA) expected from that visit has still not happened. Hipkins has promised to visit India at a later date.

As of December 2022, India ranked 16th among NZ’s trading partners, accounting for a little over 1% of our total trade. Between 2017 and 2022, trade with India

declined by $1 billion – largely due to plummeting international student numbers both before and after covid, as well as a massive reduction in log exports after NZ’s rules for fumigation changed.

Between 2000 and 2023 NZ’s long-term investment in India was worth just US$79.02 million ($128m). This accounted for 0.01% of India’s total inward foreign direct investment (FDI). Australia, by contrast, invested US$1.1bn in India during the same period, accounting for 0.2% of the FDI inflows.

Considering India’s economic growth over the past few years –and its future potential – NZ risks missing out if it doesn’t start to prioritise the relationship.

This needs to begin with what is called an “early harvest” framework – an initial agreement that would allow NZ and India to identify products suitable for the first wave of tariff liberalisation.

The framework paves the way for a long-term comprehensive economic partnership (CEP), which goes beyond tariff reduction and trade in goods. NZ already has a regional comprehensive economic partnership with a number of countries in the IndoPacific region.

This type of partnership can reduce the time exporters spend waiting for goods to clear customs, as well as provide greater certainty for service exporters and investors

in key areas of mutual economic benefit. A CEP thereby creates opportunities for NZ exporters to get their products and services into regional supply chains.

The advantage of a CEP over an FTA is that it includes services, investment, government procurement, mediation of disputes, and other regulatory aspects of trade. An FTA focuses only on goods.

Considering India’s economic growth over the past few years – and its future potential – NZ risks missing out if it doesn’t start to prioritise the relationship.

A CEP will likely have more appeal for India than a trade deal that focuses solely on tariff reduction.

A closer relationship with India would help NZ address critical skilled labour shortages. But to achieve this, the two countries would need to establish mutual recognition of qualifications and identify opportunities for training and development across key service sectors.

Covid’s impact on global supply chains and the subsequent production delays highlighted

Alan Emerson Semi-retired Wairarapa farmer and businessman: dath.emerson@gmail.com

GROWTH: Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told the Pimary Industries Summit that China’s ambition is to double its middle-income earners, which gives New Zealand massive trade potential, says Alan Emerson.

Rahul Sen Senior Lecturer, School of Economics, Auckland University of Technology

Look further afield for real banking reform

Straight talking

• Westpac consumer banking and wealth division accounted for approximately 44% of profits.

• ANZ’s business banking segment reported a cost-to-income ratio of 21%. That is eye-wateringly low and implies a huge return on investment.

• BNZ’s segment results didn’t separate out business banking from retail, which combined were 62% of profits. National Australia Bank does separate out personal from business and private banking and the former is just over one half of the latter. Using that as a proxy suggests BNZ’s retail segment would be south of 40% of profits and likely closer to 30%.

(inputs) peaked at 9.7%. Farm cost inflation is double-digit.

The

–

THUMBS up to the government announcing a Commerce Commission investigation into banking. Thumbs down to the scope. Bank profitability has received attention for years. Little wonder when you look at average profit growth of 17% per year. Fuel companies, supermarkets, construction have all had a turn, being looked at by the Commerce Commission, albeit with limited major change. Banking was logically the next cab off the rank. The inquiry covers personal banking alone.

A quick look under the hood reveals:

• ANZ’s pre-tax profit in the 2022 year was $3.2 billion, with personal banking accounting for $1.4bn (44%). Removing fund management income drops this to around 40%.

• ASB reported pre-tax profit of $2bn with retail banking $853 million (42%).

Continued from previous page

the importance of economic risk diversification for sustaining our long-term growth. Relying heavily on one single trading partner for our economic needs created significant vulnerability during the pandemic.

According to a report from the India NZ Business Council, a number of investment opportunities exist for NZ in a closer relationship with India. These go beyond agricultural product exports and include forestry, agricultural and financial technology, education, digitisation, traditional medicines and renewable energy.

The advantages of a closer partnership are not lost on on some of NZ’s trade groups. Horticulture NZ, for example, has already partnered with the northern state of Himachal Pradesh to improve the productivity and yield of the

So, across the big four, personal banking is around 40% of profits – and 60% of profits looks to be excluded from the study. The rationale for focusing on personal banking alone was put to me as three-fold by the commerce and consumer affairs minister’s office. Personal banking was considered an area where “we know New Zealanders are feeling the impact of whether or not there is a competitive sector every day”.

Second, a personal banking market study will take 14 months and “if we were to include every aspect of banking, it would be a far longer endeavour”. The focus on personal banking services “will see the greatest gain for the largest number of people in the long term”.

Any inquiry is welcome, but why exclude most of banks’ profits? Outside of personal banking there is less ability to switch, less competition, the most difficulties accessing finance, and customers’ feedback is poor for business banking with net promoter scores

state’s apple production.

NZ needs to move fast. Australia has already made significant

negative across all the four major banks.

Retail banking has numerous bank minnows chipping at the big banks, despite the big four dominating. Not in the business banking world. Many of the minnows have pulled back from business lending and focused on personal banking alone.

Borrowers are feeling the impact of higher interest rates because we have an inflation problem. Inflation is brutal and creates real pain. Household are hurting; just talk to any provider of social services.

But for some reason, we also seem to gloss over the impact of inflation on businesses or farmers. Consumer price inflation peaked at 7.3%. Producer price inflation

moves to build its economic and cultural relationship with India.

In 2022, the two countries signed

If you want some evidence of who inflation is hitting, look at the tax numbers: they show corporate tax revenue for April 2023 standing at 32.6% below April 2022. Inflation is savaging profitability. Job losses are to follow.

Fourteen months to completion is the expected timeline, with a team of 10 people. Readers can be their own judge of that.

The final rationale – that a focus on personal banking services “will see the greatest gain for the largest number of people in the long term” – is the most peculiar.

Lifting productivity is where we will deliver the greatest gain to the largest number of people over time.

The financial sector plays a key role in determining the strength of any economy by supporting the emergence and growth of productive firms. Housing needs an economic base but home lending in New Zealand has gone from 50% of all lending to 63%.

The OECD had a complete section on the role of the financial sector in their 2021 Economic

a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation agreement. Deakin University and the University of

Survey of Australia. It noted that “empirical research suggests that productivity benefits of financial deepening are realised via business lending, rather than household lending”.

The OECD listed a whole lot of challenges with businesses accessing credit – including a lack of competitive pressure and too much focus on housing – that you could rinse and repeat for NZ. Lending in Australia and NZ is highly skewed towards households. Banks’ preference for security, and especially real estate, constrains businesses without such security. Banks price for risk (margins, return on equity, profits) but do not take a lot. The credit and economic cycle will lower bank profits via rising provisioning over the coming year but watch three years out and what they claw back via their highly securitised positioning.

Directing the Commerce Commission to focus on personal banking was classic politics and fails to appreciate or understand where the competitive landscape across banking has the most problems or offers the most potential for improvement.

Wollongong are set to open foreign campuses in India.

Other countries are also rapidly taking advantage of India internationalising its education sector under the 2020 New Education Policy. NZ universities are nowhere close to such a strong presence in this market.

The ecosystem to make this happen already exists. There is a growing Indian diaspora in NZ, as well as a strong engagement of business stakeholders and the diplomatic community from both countries.

The India NZ Business Council report outlines specific policy actions for governments and stakeholders to take this important relationship to the next level. So far, however, there has not been the political will to invest seriously in India. Only a change in mindset and perception will change that.

This article was previously published in The Conversation.

WIDER SCOPE: Cameron Bagrie says he does not agree with the banking investigation’s focus on personal banking, calling it ‘classic politics’.

Cameron Bagrie

Managing director of Bagrie

Economics and a shareholder and director of Chaperon

final rationale

that a focus on personal banking services ‘will see the greatest gain for the largest number of people in the long term’ – is the most peculiar.

POTENTIAL: NZ needs to prioritise trade with India, says the writer, and the way in might well be via an ‘early harvest’ framework that identifies products suitable for the first wave of tariff liberalisation.

‘Limb-it-less’ Shaz Dagg can’t be beat

Sharon ‘Shaz’ Dagg is evidence that out of adversity come opportunity and inspiration. The story of the Manawatū athlete who lost her arm in a farm accident captivated those attending the recent South Island Dairy Event in Invercargill. Neal Wallace was also there.

AS SHAZ Dagg sat in her hospital bed coming to terms with the reality that she no longer had a left arm, she realised one of two options would define her future.

She told several hundred people attending the South Island Dairy Event in Invercargill in late June that she could have hidden behind the “door” that had suddenly appeared in front of her, or she “could break the bloody thing down”. She chose the latter.

The life-changing farm injury has inspired rather than hindered the 58-year-old from Feilding, proving what she can do rather than what she cannot.

She was selected for the New Zealand Paralympic triathlon team to compete in Tokyo and last February completed the Coast to Coast multisport race across the South Island.

Dagg also uses her motivation and love of sport to inspire people facing adversity, to help disadvantaged youth and to encourage young people with disabilities into para sports.

This is all a far cry from what Dagg called her very ordinary life four and half years ago.

All that changed when she was helping a friend milk 900 goats on a Manawatū farm.

To provide protection from the weather, sheets of corrugated iron had been attached to deer gates in the adjacent yards.

Dagg was closing one of those gates when a freak gust of wind hit the gate like a sail, picked her and the gate up and tossed them into a narrow gap, breaking her left arm.

It was a severe break that required surgery.

She was admitted to hospital but, despite repeated requests to have her injury further assessed, five days later surgery had still not happened.

Medical staff rushed into action when she was finally seen by a surgeon.

Her injury had deteriorated to the point where the surgeon had to make a cut the length of her arm on two sides to get access to the break and to relieve the swelling.

She underwent nine surgical procedures in 11 days, which saved the arm

Nine months later her arm was marginally better, but bereft of muscle and of such limited use it hampered rather than helped her.

She wanted it amputated.

“I decided I wanted to move on

in my life. I didn’t want this cock in a sock to drag me down into a situation I didn’t want to be in.”

Her decision was initially vehemently opposed by husband Owen.

“He was very blunt in his opposition, but it was because he cared for me and he was trying to protect me.”

Eleven months after the accident she was back in hospital having the arm removed.

She has no regrets.

“It was the best decision. I’ve never looked back.

“After the surgery I looked down and met Stumpy [her stump] and I had the biggest smile and happy tears running down my cheeks.

“I was turning a negative into a positive.”

Dagg had been a social runner and cyclist, so when she started looking for new challenges, she gravitated towards those disciplines.

She hated swimming but a month after the amputation tested herself in a pool with a view to competing in triathlons.

Manawatū local and former Olympic triathlete Shane Reed and his wife Tammy heard about Dagg and started coaching her.

Not having an arm meant major modifications to her bike, with the gears and brakes shifted to the right-hand side. A swimming wing was developed to help strengthen her left shoulder.

Dagg says the Limb Centre in Wellington has been helpful and very innovative in designing adaptions to allow her to compete. Another challenge was overcoming the loss of her arm, which caused a loss of balance when running.

After the surgery I looked down and met Stumpy [her stump] and I had the biggest smile and happy tears running down my cheeks. I was turning a negative into a positive.

Shaz Dagg Para athlete

“I kept veering to the right because I don’t have my left arm to balance me.”

After competing around the world to build up her international triathlon ranking, a bronze medal in a buildup event in Tokyo

secured her selection to the NZ team.

However, with the risk of covid, she decided to withdraw from the Paralympics.

She turned her attention to the Coast to Coast, a multisport event from Kumara on the South Island’s West Coast to New Brighton at Christchurch.

Organisers agreed she could enter but only if she paddled a tandem kayak with someone else in the 70km leg on the Waimakariri River.

Together with the Limb Centre and Fielding plumber Brett Garrett, new adaptions were developed.

Garrett used hose connections, PVC piping and two $1 O-rings to create a grip that allowed her to paddle.

Dagg told the conference her aim was to finish February’s 243km event over two days, but one of her biggest challenges was climbing over car-sized boulders with just one arm during the mountain run leg.

“I’d have to stand back and watch how able-bodied runners climbed up and over these boulders and then adapt it.”

Next February she is having another go at the individual two-day event, with organisers requiring her to have someone shadow her during the kayak leg for safety.

Adopting the moniker Limb-itless Shaz Dagg, she has a new arm adaption for her bike and a newdesign, 3-D printed arm extension for the kayak.

The extension is also being used by two other amputees who can now paddle a kayak.

Dagg uses her story and sport to challenge herself but to also motivate others to have a go at knocking down doors that get in their way.

She is also using her profile to raise money for Kidney Kids charity and has a givealittle page.

“I get up in the morning and come across challenges all day and I have to adapt. I love it,” Dagg says.

Confronting those challenges rather than being bitter helps her be a better person.

“I’m always reaching for new heights. Why stop? No one should.

“You can do anything if you set your mind to it.”

She is not bitter at Palmerston North Hospital and has never considered taking a case about the delayed surgery.

“So many people have said I should sue somebody, but I can’t be bothered.

“It is not about the money. All I want to do is put all my energy into recovering.”

She is also not bitter at the circumstances around her initial injury and still helps out on her friend’s farm.

“It was nobody’s fault, it was a freak accident, that’s the way I look at it.”

This attitude has opened a whole new perspective on life for Dagg.

“I would never, ever turn the clock back. It has been the best four and a half years of my life.”

INTERNATIONAL STAGE: Triathlete Shaz Dagg.

COAST TO COASTER: A specially designed adaption enabled para athlete Shaz Dagg to kayak in this year’s Coast to Coast multisport race.

‘Waka’ shows water quality in real time

A NZ-developed device designed to assess farm water quality has had its fair share of setbacks, but finally business for RiverWatch Solutions is looking buoyant. Richard Rennie reports.

ARUGBY ball-sized sampling tool promises to make assessing farm water quality a more affordable and relevant exercise, delivering real-time updates to help farmers and authorities make more informed water management decisions.

RiverWatch Solutions CEO Peter Fullerton-Smith said the company’s “Waka”, a floating device that sits in the water current, contains some intensive work just to come up with the optimal hull design.

“The work was in getting a design that would sit within the water flow, developed to also be robust and capable of dealing with flood flows, and even being submersed.”

He acknowledged the company went through some tough times during covid in the device’s early days of development, then faced the sharp end of component supply problems as covid restrictions lifted and global supply chains stalled.

“But we are now at the point where we have had 20 different companies calling us across a wide range of industries ranging from agriculture to mining, construction and industry who need to have better water quality monitoring data, and we are moving to meet that demand.”

There are currently several RiverWatch Waka being used by major catchment groups throughout New Zealand, including Waikato, and the groups are poised to order multiple

devices once their trial periods are completed successfully.

One RiverWatch Waka deployed in the Waikato River near Mystery Creek has monitored the water quality there more times in one day than that site has monitored over the past nine years.

During nine years from 20132021 there were 96 “grab” samples taken that give only a snapshot of the river and do not provide reliable, ongoing insight into changes in water quality.

Over 24 days the RiverWatch Waka analysed the water instream 2453 times, or 100 times a day across five different measurements. These were pH, temperature, conductivity, turbidity and dissolved oxygen levels.

“It really is like having a continuous video of the river’s water quality, compared to taking a picture 10 times a year.”

Fullerton-Smith said interest in the Waka has been particularly strong from farm catchment groups keen to gather data to establish a baseline for their catchment’s state of health.

Given the challenges in getting consistent data across regions on water quality in NZ, he is hopeful the Waka’s data-gathering ability will become a standard means of gathering and analysing across catchments.

The Waka does not take a nitrate measurement, one of the main focuses for most catchment’s wanting to improve water quality.

“A nitrate test is very complex and difficult to develop. We are

But we are now at the point where we have had 20 different companies calling us across a wide range of industries who need to have better water quality monitoring data, and we are able to meet that demand.

Peter Fullerton-Smith RiverWatch Solutions

developing a HealthScore analysis for the Waka that will provide a summary of the waterway’s health,

based on all the parameters it analyses,” he said.

Work is being done that links the measurement findings from the Waka to a general water health indicator.

“This is very much a ‘and-and’ solution, not an ‘and-or’, that can be used alongside other water health tools if needed.”

RiverWatch Solutions is poised to include a HealthScore in its Amazon Web Services-supported app, for users to get an indication of overall water body health. The instrument’s data is sent through a transmitter located near the device’s waterway location.

Fullerton-Smith said the tool

has a wide range of industry applications, including in agriculture, given that until now the alternatives have either been a $100,000-plus European instrument, or taking random “grabs” of water samples for lab analysis.

He said the company is particularly proud that the instrument is not only developed in NZ, but is also manufactured here, with Snap Information Technologies in Nelson producing the $5500 units.

“We are also working through a NZTE focus group to explore opportunities for export to the EU.”

Insect research finds the grub in grubs

FANCY a huhu humus or a sago salad dressing?

It’s not to everyone’s taste, but University of Otago researchers reckon the high-quality protein of some insects could be of value to foods.

Researchers in the Department of Food Science have been investigating the nutritional value of huhu grubs and possible food applications of huhu and sago grubs.

They have published two research papers in leading international journals Foods and Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, revealing the rich, high-quality proteins of the insects and their potential uses in a variety of foods.

Co-author and project supervisor Dr Dominic Agyei said the research raises the awareness of the functional properties of edible insect proteins, created by drying and grinding the grubs into powder, and extracting proteins from them.

“Edible insects have a growing reputation as an excellent source of important nutrients such as proteins, fat and minerals. But we felt the general public was less

aware that insect proteins can also have functional properties – the things that make food look and taste good and be appealing,” he said.

The researchers found protein from sago grubs is very good at forming strong gels, foams and emulsions.

The lead author, PhD candidate Ruchita Kavle, said both grub proteins have the ability to create foams that are stable by at least 80% even after 60 minutes.

“To put this in context, if you had used the insect proteins to make a cappuccino, the foam would still be sitting on top of your coffee after more than an hour.

“These properties make it excellent for use in products like mayonnaise, salad dressings, ice cream, desserts, dips such as hummus, and perhaps in huhu grub milk.

“By including grub protein in these foods, their nutritional value would be boosted,” she said.

Agyei believes more people should embrace insects as an alternative protein source.

“Insects are excellent alternatives that diversify our food sources and are incredibly nutritious – they are rich in proteins, minerals, and a

compound called chitin, a guthealth-friendly dietary fibre.” For those who are put off by the sight of insect parts in their food, there are other options. Insects can be turned into powders for use in food.

Kavle also highlighted the sustainability of edible insects – they contribute to eight of the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

“Rearing insects is a lowresource business opportunity which emits fewer greenhouse gases than other animal-based food sources.

“Insects can also be raised on food waste, which is great for building a circular economy and sustainability,” she said.

Consumer insights is an area in which research needs to be done to get more people eating insects regularly.

“Without consumer buy-in, the many benefits of insects as a source of food cannot be realised. A bigger market would also drive interest from entrepreneurs and researchers, which can drive prices down for the consumer.”

REAL TIME: RiverWatch Solutions CEO Peter Fullerton-Smith says the RiverWatch ‘Waka’ can deliver real-time water samples, compared to the sporadic sample monitoring often conducted by councils and authorities.

Staff reporter TECHNOLOGY Food

ANT FARM: Ruchita Kavle said rearing insects is a low-resource business opportunity.

Photo: University of Otago

Ohakune 2541 Rangataua Road and Ratamaire Road

Four titles - farming, gardening or lifestyle

This extremely attractive, tidy and well-maintained farm on the Ohakune town boundary offers four titles, which can be purchased individually or together, providing options from dream lifestyle to farming and gardening.

• 120 hectares of flat and easy contoured Ohakune silt loam, includes a tidy and modern five-bedroom home, allweather farm track plus the full range of farm facilities suitable for gardening and sheep and beef finishing

• 82.9 hectares of well-maintained bare land adjacent on Ratamaire Road, boasting superb house sites with stunning mountain views, a native bush backdrop and a balance of easy and medium hills

• The two titles on Rangataua Road, 4 hectares and 2.5 hectares respectively, each being flat, fertile and freedraining land which back onto the Mangateitei Stream allowing for enticing development potential bayleys.co.nz/2900608

209.7479ha

Tender (will not be sold prior)

Closing 2pm, Tue 25 Jul 2023

Bayleys, 16 Goldfinch Street, Ohakune View by appointment

Pete Stratton 027 484 7078 peter.stratton@bayleys.co.nz

BARTLEY REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Wellsford Oldfield Road

Welcome to the rock!

Welcome to "Te Toka" ('the rock'), a stunning 249-hectare grazing and lifestyle property. Its landmark rock headland stands tall, overlooking all. With breathtaking 360-degree views as far as the eye can see, from Hen and Chicken islands in the east to the Kaipara Harbour in the west. The farm has a flat to medium hill contour has been subdivided into 25 paddocks, featuring an airstrip, a large four-bay implement shed, and a rustic yet charming 'shepherd’s’ cottage'. Its native bush provides potential for onsite titles, TTR opportunities and ETS income streams, with plenty for the hunter with wild goats and pigs roaming the hills. Take a tour: vimeo.com/838453090 (turn on your sound) bayleys.co.nz/1203522

bayleys.co.nz

249ha

Tender (unless sold prior)

Closing 1pm, Fri 21 Jul 2023

41 Queen Street, Warkworth

View by appointment

John Barnett 021 790 393 john.barnett@bayleys.co.nz

MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Helensville 419 and 429 Kiwitahi Road

Deceased estate

Step into a world of endless possibilities on this picturesque 90-hectare grazing farm with resource consent already secured for an additional two titles. Nestled amidst landscaped gardens, you'll find a charming three-bedroom family home that provides breathtaking vistas of the farm and the Kaipara Harbour beyond.

It continues to deliver with two lounges, kitchen and dining areas that seamlessly merge with the outdoor entertaining area. The former dairy farms gentle contour is well subdivided and connected by a central race network system, and spacious barn for storage or conversion into stables for horse enthusiasts.

Take a tour: vimeo.com/838453473 (turn on your sound) bayleys.co.nz/1203512

90.6566ha

Tender (unless sold prior)

Closing 12pm, Fri 21 Jul 2023

41 Queen Street, Warkworth

View by appointment

John Barnett 021 790 393 john.barnett@bayleys.co.nz

Jayne McCall 021 606 969 jayne.mccall@bayleys.co.nz

MACKYS

NEW LISTING

NEW LISTING

Wairoa 1182 Tiniroto Road, Marumaru

189 hectares in seven titles

Located only 10.9 kilometres north of Wairoa township is this 189 hectare (more or less) parcel of flat and easy finishing land, conveniently subdivided into seven titles.With a four stand woolshed, sheep and cattle yard complex and approximately 40 hectares of cultivatable flat and easy land, this finishing property is likely to appeal to a wide range of local and out of town purchasers. Along with this, the airstrip and any number of elevated house sites mean it is the perfect starting block or may suit those retiring farmers. There is also very good hunting in the area. Our vendors instructions are clear, call now to view this handy finishing property. bayleys.co.nz/2853306

Ongaonga 1557 State Highway 50

189.18ha

Tender

Closing 4pm, Wed 9 Aug 2023

17 Napier Road, Havelock North

View by appointment

Tony Rasmussen 027 429 2253 tony.rasmussen@bayleys.co.nz

Stephen Thomson 027 450 6531 stephen.thomson@bayleys.co.nz

EASTERN REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Build on 24 hectare cropping/lifestyle block

Located on the doorstep of the fantastic Ongaonga township is this very tidy bare land cropping/lifestyle/finishing property. With fully reticulated water, approximately 16 hectares of productive Class 1 cropping soils and a 24 metre bore this is the perfect additional property for a larger operation or you could build and create your own lifestyle property, and with the Ongaonga School, golf course and general store close by live the good life in the country. Surplus to vendors requirements, call now to view. bayleys.co.nz/2853298

24.037ha

Auction 12pm, Fri 4 Aug 2023

17 Napier Road, Havelock North View by appointment

Tony Rasmussen 027 429 2253 tony.rasmussen@bayleys.co.nz

Andy Lee 027 354 8608 andy.lee@bayleys.co.nz

Franz Josef 419 Waiho Flat Road

Grazing property in Franz Josef

Discover the unparalleled potential of this exceptional dairy grazing opportunity situated in the heart of Franz Josef!

Approximately 110.6644 hectares (more or less) and surrounded by spectacular scenery, the property offers the perfect balance of privacy and convenience, located just a short distance from Franz Josef. This property offers significant potential for growth, currently fenced into approximately 28 paddocks. Under current management, the property has been running 190 heifers, 180 beef cattle and 20 sheep. Additionally, the current vendor undertakes wintering of approximately 180 dairy cows each year. bayleys.co.nz/5521421

110.6644ha

Deadline Sale (unless sold prior) 12pm, Fri 4 Aug 2023 3 Deans Avenue, Christchurch Phone for viewing times Ben Turner 027 530 1400 ben.turner@bayleys.co.nz

Rosevears

This is an immaculately presented 37.16 ha property with fantastic contour. The property stretches from fertile river flats to easy rolling hills with some medium hills. The property is currently part of a larger farming business, so it has a solid fertilser history and has been grazed well. It has been cropped, contoured and re grassed with quality Rye grass and Clover cultivars and is clean country with minimal weeds. The current owners fatten cattle and winter lambs, but the options could be endless. It could be used for planting maize and other crops. The property is well supported with its own spring water that is reticulated to troughs.

Hunt this down

426 Pukeatua Road is a 40 minute drive from Taumarunui and is an ideal haven for hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and honey production. It is at the end of a quiet gravel road, mainly surrounded by native bush reserve and pine tree boundaries. There are currently hives on the farm with potential to keep hives on for this summer or longer. There is approximately 60 ha of deer fenced ground plus a deer shed that, with a bit of work, could be used again as could the sheep yards. The farm currently has wild deer in the deer fenced area but could potentially carry 500 su of livestock again. You could farm the deer or leave them just for hunting and recreational activities.

Together Stronger

Our combined strengths complement each other, creating more opportunity for our customers and Farmlands shareholders across provincial New Zealand.

• A nationwide network from Northland to Southland

• Sound, trustworthy advice from market-leading experts

• Shareholder benefits and preferential commission rates means more money in your pocket

Bigger networks, more buyers, better results

For more information call 0800 367 5263 or visit pb.co.nz/together

Ohura 17 Waikaka Road Auction

Taumarunui 426 Pukeatua Road Tender

CROMWELL, CENTRAL OTAGO 94 Middleton Road Expansive South Island High Country Station

PGG Wrightson are proud to welcome you to Northburn Station, a breathtaking 13,177ha (STS) high country estate nestled amidst the pristine beauty of Central Otago. Boasting an awe-inspiring landscape, this remarkable property presents an unparalleled opportunity for those seeking an extraordinary lifestyle in one of New Zealand's most coveted landscapes. The original Northburn Run is freehold up to the top (1647m).

Northburn runs approximately 11,150 stock units of Merino sheep and cattle, on a combination of irrigated flats and terraces, developed dry land hill and oversown and top-dressed high country. Northburn presents immense development potential

including the consented high-country canyon swing operation and is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a prestigious highcountry station that offers unparalleled beauty, seclusion, and development potential. Whether you seek a private retreat or a visionary legacy investment along with proven award-winning Merino ultra-fine wool flock, this extraordinary property is the pinnacle of high country living.

The property is currently leased to a proven high-performing local wool grower who farms the property conservatively. The property is offered for sale with this lease in place which has 5 years to run.

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY Plus GST (if any)

(Unless Sold Prior)

Closes 2.00pm, Wednesday 27 September

VIEW By Appointment Only

Mike Direen

M 027 434 0087

E mdireen@pggwrightson.co.nz

Trevor Norman

M 027 435 5433

E trevor.norman@pggwrightson.co.nz

Find primary sector vacancies at:

To advertise phone Debbie 06 323 0765

UNITED WHEATGROWERS

NZ LTD

Annual General Meeting, Electoral Committee Meeting and Wheat Awards

Thursday 10th August 2023, Commencing at 1:30pm

The Chairman and Directors of United Wheatgrowers (NZ) Ltd invite all wheat growers to their Annual General Meeting and Electoral Committee Meeting held at the Sudima Hotel Christchurch Airport, 550 Memorial Avenue, Harewood, Christchurch 8053 on Thursday 10th August 2023 commencing at 1:30pm. This meeting will conclude at approximately 3pm, followed by Herbage Seed meeting and then the Arable Awards dinner and presentation.

The Arable Awards are to be held at The Wigram Airforce Museum of New Zealand, 45 Harvard Avenue, Wigram, Christchurch 8042 on Thursday 10th August 2023 commencing at 6:00pm. All wheat growers are encouraged to attend this meeting.

UNITED WHEATGROWERS NZ LTD NOMINATION FOR DIRECTORS 2023

Nominations from eligible wheat growers are called for one (1) vacancy on the Board of Directors of United Wheatgrowers Nz Ltd.

This year Guy Wigley is up for re-election by rotational retirement and has indicated he is available for re-election.

The Executive Officer

United Wheatgrowers (NZ) Ltd P O Box 39195, Christchurch 8545 Ph: (03) 365 0881 or Email: kayla.mcpherson@brownglass.co.nz

The Election will occur at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for Thursday 10th August 2023 at the Sudima Hotel Christchurch Airport, 550 Memorial Avenue, Harewood, Christchurch 8053, commencing at 1:30pm. Nominations will close at 4:00pm on Thursday 20th of July 2023 at the above address.

Lone Star Farms are actively looking for land suitable for Finishing or a Sheep Breeding/Finishing Operation.

Ideally, the property should have reliable rainfall/irrigation and would be of a size that can support at least one labour unit or is in close proximity to our current farming operations.

We are looking at all options in terms of leasing or Share Farming. For a confidential discussion please call Matt Smith on 027 536 0499.

Farmers/Woodlot owner Tired of waiting for someone to harvest your trees?

We are not committed to one buyer that is how we get our customers the most profit we can. Set up to do the smaller, trickier wood lots. No job too big or too small.

Buyers of Woodlots and Forest.

Marketplace

HIGH COUNTRY JOURNEYS

ANIMAL HANDLING

GOATS WANTED

STOCK REQUIRED

TWO STUNNING 4WD SELF DRIVE OPTIONS

South Island High Country Grand Slam Self drive your own 4WD from Blenheim to Cardona in Central Otago through a network of high country tracks including Molesworth on this 7 day 8 night tour.

The Great Explorer Self drive from Lake Ohau to Cardrona through the majestic high country and Tussockslands of the Mackenzie Basin, Central Otago and Northern Southland with this 5 day 6 night tour.

Both these tours are; Fully guided with radio contact; Fully catered and stay in very comfortable lodge and farmstays; Made up of smaller tour groups (7-9 vehicles) and travel at a quieter pace.

NOW TAKING BOOKINGS FOR 2023/24 SEASON

Contact John Mullholland Phone 027 228 8152 • RANFURLY info@highcountryjourneys.co.nz www.highcountryjourneys.co.nz

MOWER MASTER TOWABLE MOWERS

Towable Flail Mower

14.5HP. Vanguard Briggs & Stratton Motor. Electric start. 1.2m cut 3 year Briggs and Stratton Commercial Warranty. 2 year Mower Master Warranty

Assembled by Kiwis for Kiwi conditions – built to last.

FLY OR LICE problem?

Electrodip – the magic eye sheepjetter since 1989 with unique self adjusting sides. Incredible chemical and time savings with proven effectiveness.

Phone 07 573 8512 www.electrodip.com

CRAIGCO SHEEP JETTERS. Sensor Jet. Deal to fly and Lice now. Guaranteed performance. Unbeatable pricing. Phone 06 835 6863. www.craigcojetters.com

DOLOMITE

For

NORTHERN SHEEP SCANNING. Friendly and reliable service. Based in Northern Waikato, servicing surrounding areas and Northland.

Phone Natalie 021 109 5884.

BALAGE FOR SALE

EXCELLENT QUALITY, $85 per bale plus GST. Unit loads available. HAY, 5ft rounds, shed stored. $105 per bale plus GST. Unit loads available.

Phone 021 455 787.

To find out more visit www.mowermaster.co

Phone 0800 422277 or 028 461 5112 Email: mowermasterltd@gmail.com

GOATS WANTED. All weights. All breeds. Prompt service. Payment on pick up. My on farm prices will not be beaten. Phone David Hutchings 07 895 8845 or 0274 519 249. Feral goats mustered on a 50/50 share basis.

GRAZING AVAILABLE

HOGGETS. CATTLE. Location Bulls, Rangitikeifrom Mid Aug. Text 021 224 2119, testimonials available.

R1YR FRSN BULLS 180-230kg

400-480kg R2YR FRSN BULLS

R2YR ANG BULLS 450kg

R2YR ANG or AX & EXOTIC STEERS

440-480kg

CONTRACT NATIVE TREE GROWERS

Drive from station to station and experience the majestic South Island High Country Excess trees ready to plant. Manuka, Kanuka and Cabbage trees

$1.50 to $4

GST inclusive

We have over 20 species of NZ Natives for all planting requirements.

Gardens, Landscaping, shelter belts, riparian and council funded projects.

We are taking orders for 2024 now.

Call 027 238 4960

DOGS FOR SALE 30 DOGS UNDER 30 hundred. Deliver NZ wide twice monthly. www.youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos 07 315 5553.

ELECTRO-TEK ENGINEERING

Re-sharpening available for all makes

FARM MAPPING

MEASURE YOUR FARMS effective area with a practical and cost-effective map. Visit farmmapping.co.nz for a quote.

FOR SALE

1972 FORD D1011 truck AND 1972 574 international tractor. Enquiries to 027 269 1543.

GIBB-GRO GROWTH PROMOTANT

PROMOTES QUICK PASTURE growth. Only $6.50+gst per hectare delivered. 0508-GIBBGRO [0508 442 247] www. gibbgro.co.nz. “The Proven One.”

GIBBOOST

INCREASE PASTURE growth and dry matter. $5.50 per/ha ex store + GST. Phone 0508 733 343. www.vernado.co.nz

HIGH INDEXING JERSEY & JERSEY CROSS HERD

R3YR ANG & AX or EXOTIC STEERS

500-600kg

CROSS-BRED R1&2YR BULLS

HAY FOR SALE

BW 143/50 PW 161/67 RA 100%

QUALITY RYE GRASS and barley straw. Shed stored and covered stack. Weed free. Round and square bales, Waimate, South Canterbury. Unit loads available, can deliver. Phone Dan 021 760 407.

(in top 10 All Breeds for NZ )

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz Ross Dyer 0274 333 381

• Many cows contracted to LIC for 2011 matings

A Financing Solution For Your Farm

• Due to calve from 16-7-12, 6.5 weeks AB Jersey and Kiwi cross

HORTICULTURE

NZ KELP. FRESH, wild ocean harvested giant kelp. The world’s richest source of natural iodine. Dried and milled for use in agriculture and horticulture. Growth promotant / stock health food. As seen on Country Calendar. Orders to: 03 322 6115 or info@nzkelp.co.nz

E info@rdlfinance.co.nz

SALE TALK

Dairy Cattle For Sale

• Estimated to be 420 cows after non pregnant, culls, older cows & 5% rejection

• Production last season 347kgs ms/cow, 1000kgs ms/ha, on rolling to steeper contoured farm, no meal, palm kernel or maize fed.

• Young replacement stock also available

LEASE LAND WANTED

DAIRY OR GRAZING FARM wanted. Open to leasing and/or share farming and developing land in partnership. Rangitīkei, Manawatū or HB areas. Phone Michael 027 223 6156.

• 11 Friesian in-calf heifers, very well grown, BW 195, PW 210. Complete line of A1A2 heifers from complete line. I/C to Speckle Park bull, came out 04/12/22. DTC from 11/07/23. All G3 teat sealed, Rotovac and Lepto vaccinated. All details available. Asking $1700 ono.

Confucius say, man who have last laugh, not get joke.

• man who sleep with old hen, find it better than pullet. woman who sink in man’s arms, soon have arms in man’s sink.

man who go to bed with itchy butt wake up with smelly fingers.

war not determine who right. War determine who left.

man who fight with wife all day, get no peace at night.

• 21 Jersey cows, Ave BW 184, PW 180, all G3. I/C to Jersey bull. DTC from 25/07/23. BWs to 340, PW’s to 410. Good cows. In Northland. Details available.

Outstanding genetics & potential to be one of the countries leading suppliers of Genetics to the dairy industry for years to come. Full details available.

Enquiries to the sole marketing agents:

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE

RED DEVON BULLS. Well grown, purebred. Feilding. Phone 027 224 3838.

man who run behind bus get exhausted.

• man with hand in pocket all day not crazy, just feeling nuts.

• man with big mouth, beware of foot. two wrongs not make right, but two rights make U-turn.

man who sneeze without tissue take matter into own hands.

Brian Robinson BRLL PH: 0272 410051 or 07 8583132

RAMS FOR SALE

WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556.

For more information contact Brian Robinson Phone 0272 410 051 b.robinson1@xtra.co.nz

Gary Falkner Jersey Marketing Service

PH: 027 482 8771 or 07 846 4491

RURAL MASSAGE

RELAXING FULL BODY massage in rural Ohaupo. Unwind. De-stress. www. ruralmassage.co.nz or call 027 529 5540.

WANTED TO BUY

HOUSES AND SHEDS for removal. Phone 021 455 787.

SAWN SHED TIMBER including Black Maire. Matai, Totara and Rimu etc. Also buying salvaged native logs. Phone Richard Uren. NZ Native Timber Supplies. Phone 027 688 2954.

WHAT’S SITTING IN your barn? Don’t leave it to rust away! We pay cash for tractors, excavators, small crawler tractors and surplus farm machinery. Ford –Ferguson – Hitachi – Komatsu – John Deere and more. Tell us what you have no matter where it is in NZ. You never know.. what’s resting in your barn could be fattening up your wallet! Email admin@ loaderparts.co.nz or phone Colin on 0274 426 936 (No texts please)

• man who fall in vat of molten glass, make spectacle of self.

• butcher who back into meat grinder get a little behind in his orders.

China’s eyes bigger than its stomach

Things have turned sour in the past six weeks, with market troubles that aren’t confined to red meat.

So what’s going on?

IT’S A strange old time for both sheep and beef markets.

Plenty of people were banking on schedules doing their traditional lift through winter, which definitely wasn’t a bad call in autumn, when a lot of store stock were being bought for this trade. Back then China appeared to be coming out of lockdowns with a bounce, the United States was running short of its own cattle supplies, and European lamb buyers were more active than expected, which all boded well for future farmgate prices.

But it’d be safe to say things have turned sour over the past six weeks, especially since mid-June. Processors have taken significant cuts out of lamb and mutton and are slowly chewing away at almost all cattle classes too.

AgriHQ has been collecting lamb slaughter price data since 1996 and since then prices have only once come back in winter. That was in 2003 when lamb eased only 10 cents to $4.25/kgCW – which is $6.90/kgCW in today’s dollars when adjusting for inflation.

The main source of pain is China. It was key to pushing beef, lamb, and mutton prices to brand new heights through 2021 and 2022, but it’s starting to look as though it was a bit overenthusiastic.

Commentary from all quarters points to an overabundance of expensive product held up in inventories over there – and traders are struggling to sell it without taking losses. Those Chinese traders are therefore reluctant to buy any extra volume beyond what they already have and are willing to do so only at cut-rate prices. Exporters here and abroad are even having to renegotiate prices once containers full of meat are landed in China.

It’s easy to see how this situation has developed when you look at China’s import data, at least for beef. A record 2.8 million tonnes of beef was imported over the past 12 months, an extra 500,000t on top of last year. Before the pandemic this had never gone over 1.7 million tonnes, though some entered via the grey trade that doesn’t show on official figures.

This past year’s number would’ve been even higher had

Exporters here and abroad are even having to renegotiate prices once containers full of meat are landed in China.

Brazil not been cut off for around two months due to an atypical mad cow disease case. It’s unlikely this latest flood of beef into China will slow much over the short term, given what we’re hearing from overseas. Another factor that gets overlooked somewhat is the pork market. This can be a major driver

of consumer trends as it’s China’s default meat choice. Pork prices went through the roof in 2019 when African Swine Fever (ASF) ripped through China and killed off supplies. However, now the situation has mainly settled down, live hog prices there are leveling out to pre-ASF levels. That’s about half the price of 2020. Market troubles aren’t limited to the red meat sector, though. You can name almost any commodity that trades into China – logs, wool, dairy products – and virtually all are having a tough time. So while supplies are definitely a key part of the equation, such a universal shift points to economic issues

being just as influential. Key consumer spending metrics during China’s latest public holiday came up short of prepandemic levels. And other data points, such as home and car sales, have been slow since before that. A lot of China’s economy is based on its property development sector, which has now been in rough waters for almost two years. Only recently a large property development project didn’t sell despite being offered at 20% of its appraised value. Likewise, news has emerged that another major state-backed property company has reportedly run into cash-flow issues.

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SLOWING DOWN: China was key to pushing beef, lamb and mutton prices to brand-new heights through 2021 and 2022, but things are starting to change.

Reece Brick MARKETS Sheep and beef

Weekly saleyards

Midwinter attention is typically on in-lamb ewes, and Temuka provided a good benchmark for the South Island. Nearly 9600 ewes were penned at the annual fair, a tally that significantly exceeded last year as 3700 extra ewes were offered due to farm policy changes. Buyers ventured forward from Southland, Otago and North Canterbury. The fair flowed well as vendors met the market, though it was a very different result to the previous year. Two-tooth ewe prices came back $40-$60 and 2-4-tooth Romney, $40-$80. Five-year and mixed-age Romney dropped $80-$90 and mixed-age Halfbred came back $50-$100.

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iPhone or iPad

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Cattle Sheep

Deer

Fertiliser

NOTE: Slaughter values are weighted average gross operating prices including premiums but excluding breed premiums for cattle.

Forestry

analysis of key trade data, important nancial markets, and critical market trends here and around the world.

Dairy

Grain

Close of market

Listed Agri shares

Wet Waikato has more rain still to come

Philip Duncan NEWS Weather

WAIKATO is drenched at the moment, though it’s not making the news like eastern parts of the North Island have. The flatness of Waikato means slips and big dramatic washouts are less likely for the most part, but the rain has been relentless in some areas of the region across 2023.

As we go through July there is a shift in our weather pattern, but it’s not one that will help Waikato just yet, or the wet east.

Some locations have had over a year’s worth of rain at the halfway mark. June was mixed up, though. The nature of the fractured rain events and the isolated downpours and thunderstorms meant some in Waikato actually had below their usual June average, while others had more than twice their normal amount.

The Hauraki Plains, once a swamp and now some fantastic dairy farming land, are back to swampy in many places with canals full and the water table at pasture level. It’s a tough time for the farmers (and cattle), with the mud being one of the biggest complaints we’re seeing on social media.

As we go through July there is a shift in our weather pattern, but it’s not one that will help Waikato just yet (or the wet east). The shift is to more westerly driven weather. This is better news for eastern parts of the country that are so wet and muddy, but for those in the west it means cold fronts.

The western side of New Zealand is likely to be wetter in the weeks ahead, but the eastern side isn’t going to go dry instantly, with some wet days coming up this month from the northeast and the south still bringing the chance of heavy falls to eastern parts of the North Island.

Back over in Waikato, they are likely to get a further 30 to 80mm in the next couple of weeks – the closer to the Tasman Sea you are, the wetter the weather. The driest part of NZ in the coming few weeks will likely be Central Otago and

Southland, with perhaps only a few millimetres falling in some inland areas there.

El Niño is still building but it’s really important to note it’s not officially here yet. Our weather patterns are messy and chaotic, and so if you’re expecting a big dry pattern to quickly turn up you may be disappointed.

The last La Niña event was supposed to fade out around late December 2022/January 2023 – but it took until late March to do so. Likewise, it may be months yet before a drier El Niño pattern really sets in for NZ. There’s going to be some transitioning to that, but the chaotic, neutral weather pattern is still very much here for NZ.

Highlights this week

• Low pressure east of NZ could bring in rain (with some heavy falls) to the east between Christchurch and Gisborne.

• Eastern NZ isn’t yet in a dry set-up

• Later this week another southerly change (around Thursday)

• Low pressure dominates the country this week

WET WEEK: Expected Rainfall over seven days, starting from 6am on Sunday July 9 through to 6am Sunday July 16.

Make your sheep farming easier and more profitable

Wool

Be our guest…

The Wairere team will be on the road in July. Bringing you ideas to make your sheep farming easier and more profitable. All welcome, come and enjoy our hospitality.

July 6 Thursday 4pm Gladstone Inn near Masterton

July 7 Friday 4pm The Gretna, Taihape

July 10 Monday 4pm Otane Hotel, Hawkes Bay

July 11 Tuesday 4pm Wairoa Golf Club

July 12 Wed 4pm Rusty Nail Pub, Taumarunui

July 13 Thursday 4pm Cosmopolitan Club Pio Pio

July 14 Friday 4pm TET Sports Centre, Stratford

July 17 Monday 3pm Culverden Hotel

July 18 Tuesday 10am Willesden Farm Office, Banks Peninsula

July 18 Tuesday 3pm Oxford Working Men’s Club

July 19 Wednesday 3pm Pleasant Point Hotel

July 20 Thursday 3pm Lawrence Golf Club

July 21 Friday 3pm Wyndham Hotel

July 22 Saturday 3pm Lumsden Hotel

Romney ewes with ram lamb sire, 1986 (above left) and purebred Nudie and first-cross Nudie hoggets at Wairere, May 2023

Success breeds Success

What’s most important to you? More lambs? Faster growth? Parasite resilience? Less work?

Presentations will include global sheep meat supply/demand, accessing premiums, profit per hectare/your sweet spot, the future of wool, Nudies, ways to reduce costs, future technology, drench resistance, the Wairere high productivity index, client commentary, and the latest news from our biggest sheep farming competitors and markets.

Wairere’s breeding base of 22,000 ewes and hoggets has expanded from Romney to East Friesian Romneys to composite, to Dominator terminals, to FE resilient, to Romney / Merino, and now Nudies.

Wairere composite ewe hoggets with lambs.

East Friesian ewe hoggets, 1997.

Two tooth ewes at White Rock Station, April 2023. Wairere sources twin ram lambs from White Rock.